A Lost Hart
by PrettyinPinkNikki21
Summary: What would happened to Jennifer if she suddenly realized her world with Jonathan could collapse? Would she Fall or Rise?
1. A Lost Hart

THE RITZ CARTON HOTEL-PARIS

Jennifer Hart was excited, this last minute decision to Join Jonathan at a conference was something she thought she'd never get to do but she managed to complete her writing assigment ahead of schedule and had actually surprised him on the Tarmac just as he was boarding Hart 1, Their driver pulling up as The Flight crew was preparing to close the door.

She'd run up the stairs to the gateway and nearly got the door slammed in her face, it wasn't the Flight Attendant's fault because she just wasn't expecting Jennifer to be there but Jennifer made it through the door and was told Jonathan had gone back into his office, she nodded and asked for them not mention that she was on Board to Jonathan, she wanted to see the expression on his face..

She took her usual seat and waited for him, however when she realized halfway through the flight that he was probably napping and probably wouldn't come out of the office until they landed.

Jennifer knocked on the office door and waited for him to call "Come in," When he didn't answer, she opened the door and saw him sitting at the desk with two glasses of champagne.

"What took you so long?" He asked Picking Up Two Glasses

She had to laugh, "How did you know?" taking the glass from him.

"I saw you running across the tarmac," He put his glass down and pulled her face to his, kissing her so hard she nearly dropped the glass.

She melted and they both sank to the floor, making love felt about as natural as breathing or sleeping to them and just to ensure privacy, Jonathan reached up and locked the door.

After they finished dressing and re-took their seats, They finally landed and it was like they were back on their honeymoon, kissing in the limo until they pulled up in front of the limo.

Jonathan hadn't wanted to leave her to attend the meeting in Central London but he knew that it would be boring for her, leaving her behind he said would only be for a few hours and when he was done, they'd go back to the spots that they shared on their first date. Dinner Dancing and back to the Ritz.

She was excited that they would paint the town red, she showered and was sitting at her dressing table putting on makeup when the TV, which had been put on while she showering flashed a breaking news that a Jewelry Store had been robbed and there were currently six hostages including Wealthy Industrious Jonathan C. Hart.

She wasn't sure if she'd heard right but when the reporter repeated his name, Her Heart instantly stopped and for a moment, she couldn't breath.

What was he doing there? More importantly, was he alright?

She wouldn't wait for the answers instead she quickly dressed in a pale blue cardigan and matching pants, quickly clipped her hair back because it was damp and slipped on her high heels.

When Jennifer arrived at the Jewelry store, a crowd had already formed and the police were on every corner. No matter how many times she said her name, they refuse to give answers and would tell her to move back to the crowd.

Somehow she'd managed to move with the crowd to a sidewalk across the street and slipped under the caution tape to where it appeared the main Police Officer as in charge.

She rushed over, just as another Police Officer was about to grab her arm, she yelled, "My name is Jennifer Hart, My husband is one of the hostages,"

The Police Officer nodded seeing the pain in her eyes and the cracking of her voice, "She's okay,"

Jennifer exhaled, "Thank you, now please Tell Me what's happened?"

"We've established there are three robbers and six hostages including your husband and the security guard, we've been getting limited information and in order to free the hostages, we need to establish some connection,"

"I'll go," She said the words before she even realized.

"Mrs. Hart, I can't risk you getting hurt. As a civilian, you would need to get assurances to go inside." The Police officer said putting his hand on her shoulder

"Sir, You either authorize me or watch me go in blindly, either way I'm going to rescue my husband even if it means going down in a hail of bullets" Jennifer was adamant.

The Police Officer exhaled, "Fine but please put on a flak jacket and let us wire you up so we can at least get some intel,"

Jennifer nodded and was taken to a Police Mobile Unit where she was instructed to remove her top to accommodate the jacket so it wouldn't be obvious then the microphone was taped to her back. She then put her shirt back on and was told that she had to be careful of pulling out the wires.

Jennifer swallowed and agreed, then was sent out to walk back to the Jewelry Store.

The Jewelry Store had a large Bay window so she could see, although limited that Jonathan was leaning against a glass cabinet. For a moment she sighed with relief and was just climbing the stairs when an explosion inside knocked her off feet and back onto the pavement, she wouldn't remember hitting the pavement but when she came to, she saw that there was nothing left to the Jewelry Store except smoke and flames.

"JONATHAN!" She screamed, "JONATHAN," she tried to get up but realized that something or someone was pinning her to the ground.

It was a Police Officer, different than the one in charge but he must have seen what was about to happen and threw his body across hers.

"Let me up, please!" She begged.

"I'm so sorry Ma'am, But I can't, there's nothing we can do." The officer's voice did little to sooth her and she watched as the Firefighters rushed in to fight the flames. Jonathan surely must have gotten out.

Hours later, there was still no word on whether or not Jonathan Hart had been inside the explosion or was taken out the back and Jennifer had stood there for hours, hoping against hope.

Eventually the Police took her back to the hotel, there was nothing that they could until the Fire Brigade declared the building safe enough to enter and begin the investigation.

She had long stopped crying, she was just stunned and she wasn't even aware that her clothes were dirty and ripped, that she had a cut on her forehead and her hair was all over the place, nothing else mattered.

When the Police left her sitting in the Living Room, she waited until she heard the door closed and picking up the large vase of Roses, threw it against the wall.

She went to the bathroom and turned the light on, when she looked at herself in the mirror, she saw that she was a hollow version of herself already and it frightened her to her core.

She turned on the water and waited for the steam to build up but it took so long she fell asleep on the floor of the bathroom.

Jennifer was dreaming, they were back at Willow Pond and Max was downstairs making one of his famous breakfasts downstairs while she and Jonathan were upstairs, usually making love. She could feel his breathe on her neck and the cold silk sheets beneath her.

Suddenly she heard knocking, "Max, Go away," the banging was getting louder and louder.

She opened her eyes and looked around, realizing she wasn't in California and that it wasn't Max at the door, she slowly got up and realized that when she'd turned on the shower and fell asleep, the tub had overflowed.

But she didn't care, Maybe it was Jonathan and he'd just lost the hotel key.

Jennifer practically ran to the door, "Oh Darling!" She threw it up open to find two police officers.

"Mrs. Hart?" They both looked so solemn that her heart instantly shattered and she dropped to her knees.

"Jonathan, Oh Jonathan," She screamed until She faded into oblivion.

 _The American Hospital_

 _Two Nurses walking toward the Cafeteria were discussing a new Patient that had been brought in following an accident._

" _The New Patient up on 6?" The Red headed Nurse said , "The Poor guy, he's lost his vision and his memory"_

" _How awful, All they know is He's American and that he had a wedding ring on that said "Charlie," a blonde nurse replied._


	2. A Grieving Hart

_PARIS-THE RITZ CARLTON HOTEL_

After the Police had arrived back at her door, Jennifer's heart instantly shattered as the Detective said the words she never wanted to hear, "I'm sorry Ma'am, But your husband is dead" and Presented her with Jonathan's watch and his wallet but the signet ring she'd given to him on their first anniversary was gone.

She instantly dropped to her knees and cried until she was exhausted, the Police Officers understood and offered to call Max for her but she knew that she had to be the one to tell Max, Jonathan was a son to him and There was no one more important to him than that.

Jennifer picked herself off the floor and called Max, he'd decided that there was a Poker Game in Palm Springs he couldn't miss but left her a phone number to call in case of an emergency.

The phone rang and rang until a female voice picked up

"Hello, I'm looking for Max" Jennifer wasn't sure if she'd dialed the right number

"Oh Sure," the voice oozed, "Maxxy, it's for you Baby" she must have handed Max the phone

"Ello" Max gruff voice came on the line, "Who's dis"

"Max, it's me, something's happened….Jonathan's dead!" Jennifer wailed

Max wasn't sure what if he'd heard her correctly, "Did you say…Dead, Mrs. H what happened?"

"He was killed an explosion," She collapsed to the floor and cried until she hiccuped and felt dizzy.

"Stay there, I'm on my way," Max ordered, he would get to the bottom of what happened to Jonathan, one way or another.

"Max, there's nothing you could do here in London except .." her voice trailed

"You want to activate the code?" Max wasn't surprised, it was something Jonathan had told them earlier.

"Yes, Call Marcus and I'm sure he's heard by now if he has any questions, I guess I can answer them," She looked around, the hotel room seemed so large and empty.

"Right." Max's voice went quiet, "Call when you've landed"

She nodded and hung up the phone, turning back to the Police, "Are you positive that my husband is dead, what about his remains" she choked on her tongue

"I'm sorry Ma'am," the Police officer shook his head, "There's nothing"

Jennifer watched them leave and held onto Jonathan's watch, she'd remembered that for his birthday one year, she'd had Harry Winston design a diamond watch that each number represented a letter in his name. She sat down on the couch and remembered when he told her about the code.

 _Max was off to Vegas, another one of his famous gambling trips and they were finally alone in the house, she'd gone outside for a bit to give Freeway a walk and when she returned, he called her into the office where there was stacks of papers on the desk_

" _Darling, I need you to sign a few papers," He said sitting behind the mahogany desk._

" _Like what?" She sat down on the edge of the desk, "It's a bit late for a prenup," She laughed_

" _No these are papers for Power of Attorney in case something happens to me," He said putting his arms on her legs_

 _Her eyes instantly filled with tears, she couldn't imagine her life without him, she whispered, "That's awful, why would you think of that?'_

 _He wiped her eyes , "Darling, it's not to upset you but with this new contract with the military and having to go overseas especially in times of War, We have to be realistic, You hold the keys to the Castle and I want you to be prepared. Now Max has this information as well as Marcus so if you should need help, there is someone there who will be able to help you,"_

 _She nodded, his business was his life and he needed comfort that she would step up as his wife._

" _Now, we have three trusts set up, Our Joint Bank Account, A Trust Fund for Emergencies and .." He paused._

" _And?" She could see the pain in his eyes, "Oh Jonathan,"_

" _A Trust Fund for our future children," He said quietly_

" _You've heard what Dr. Kendall said, " She leaned over and hugged him, They'd tried for so long but nothing had happened, eventually they both got tired of trying so hard for nothing and Although Dr. Kendall had said that it could happened, because she was over 35 there was a limited chance that it was possible and so they had decided that maybe it wasn't in their plans._

" _Well just in case," He hugged her back, "If Something should happen to me, You need to Key Marcus in with the Code- "JackalJen" That allows you to take immediate control of the Company."_

 _She nodded, she was a board member so she knew how they worked but she'd never imagined that she would take control of the whole company, it's not something she ever wanted._

" _I'll do it if you promise to come home safely to me," She kissed him and he pulled her into his lap._

 _Making love on the desk was one of her favorite things._

The next few days, as word began to spread about Jonathan's death, she suddenly felt like a Prisoner inside that hotel room and when the Police said that she could back to Los Angeles, she wondered if it would be worse in their own town.

The Flight on Hart 1 made her cry, she wondered around their private suite and wrapped herself in Jonathan's favorite robe he wore when they took long flights.

She finally fell asleep just before they were about to land and woke up to the Flight Attendant announced that they were on the Tarmac, That Max was coming on board to escort her down so she could make a speech, He'd offered to do it for her but she felt that as Jonathan's wife, it was one of her responsibility.

What she did agree to was that Max would stand beside her, He'd insisted that she not be alone, that they grieve together and so she waited until the plane's stairs were dropped and Max was brought on board.

Max walked quickly up the stairs and on board, she stood up from her seat in the window and he immediately wrapped her in what Jonathan called a Max hug.

"He was the best" Max whispered in her ear, all the contacts in the world had proved to be useless, that Jonathan was indeed dead.

"He really was," Her eyes watery and her voice cracked, "Do you remember when you told Jonathan that we were like Romeo and Juliet, Gable and Lombard?"

"Yeah," Max nodded remembering that conversation with Jonathan

"Well now you can add another name to that list. Jonathan and Jennifer,"

They disembarked the plane, the Tarmac was covered with Press, all shouting her name, for a moment she felt afraid until Max took her hand, she put her sunglasses on.

Standing in front of the Microphone, She took a deep breath and spoke quietly, "My husband was a good man and his death is a shock to the community, I thank you for your kind words and ask that you respect our privacy at this time. My husband left specific instructions that no funeral take place and that instead of flowers, please donate to the Mission Street house, where he called home for sixteen years. I will be taking over as CEO for Hart Industries as was my husband's wishes that it remain our family," She paused," I also want to thank the Paris Police for all their hardworking in helping us during this time. I know that a lot of lives were lost and My goal for Hart Industries is to help those victims as well. Thank you,"

The Press began shouting questions but she couldn't hear and she was exhausted, Max took the lead and pulled her toward the car.

The Driveway home, She hadn't noticed that it was raining, "How long has it been raining?"

Max, sitting across from here, "Since Two Days ago"

She nodded and continued to stare out the window until they pulled into the gates, She felt a sharp pain in her chest seeing the giant H and when the driver pulled up to the house, she didn't want to go in.

Max broke the silence, "Freeway will be so happy to see you"

She nodded, "I missed him too," As the Driver stopped, She realized that this was the beginning of a new life she never wanted.

Max got out first then held the door open for her, She got out and walked to the door.

Jennifer remembered t _he first day they walked into the house, They'd just gotten engaged in London and were house hunting, staying at the Savoy hotel when Jonathan wanted to take a ride, figuring that they hadn't been outside in a few days she agreed and off in the car they drove._

 _When they got to Willow Pond road, He asked if she would close her eyes, she was curious as to why, she knew that this was a house but she listened and when he pulled the car up to the carport, he shut it off and ran over to open her door._

 _She stood wobbly and taking her arm, Jonathan guided her to the front door and pushed it open, then practically shoved her inside, she stumbled and when she opened her eyes, the entryway was littered in roses and a bucket of champagne was sitting in the middle of the room._

 _Jonathan was like a kid in a candy store, she remembered how he'd pulled her all over the house, "This will be Max's room, off the Kitchen, Upstairs we can have a huge master suite and down the hall can be the baby's room, What do you think?"_

 _She had to laugh, "I think we're going to need to go furniture shopping and fill this place up"_

Jennifer snapped out of her haze when she heard little paws skid across the hardwood floors. Freeway.

Except he was looking for Jonathan, he skidded past her and to where Jonathan usually came in calling for him.

She sat down on the floor, "Freeway, Come here Baby," He bounded over to and licked her face, she buried her face in his fur, "He's not coming back,"

Max brought in her luggage and took them upstairs, she got off the floor and followed slowly behind him.

Max opened the door to the master bedroom, everything frozen as if it were waiting for them to come back, His books on the side table, His pajamas folded on the bed, Pillow scrunched the way he liked.

It was too much for Jennifer, "I'm going to take a shower,"

Max nodded and started unpacking her suitcase.

She turned the water on and took her clothes off, standing in the hot water she collapsed, She cried harder than when she lost her mother, harder when her Father left her at Boarding School..She sobbed from the depths of her soul.

Max heard her wailing and knew that she had to grieve, this was the beginning of her new self but also knew that she could get pneumonia.

It wasn't the first time he'd accidentally walked in her on, often she was dressing and was only wearing a towel, it was nothing sexual, she was practically his daughter.

But still, when he heard her cry, he knew what Jonathan would do, he got a towel and pulled her out of the shower wrapping the towel around her, he let her cry.

"Oh Max, what are we going to do?" She cried

"Mr. H wouldn't want us to stop our lives, we gotta keep living. Mr. H was all about adventure and that's what we'll do." Max knew Jonathan better than she did and she knew he was right.

AMERICAN HOSPITAL -PARIS

It had been several days since the mystery patient had arrived, he'd lost his vision and memory in an explosion but he had least regained consciousness, The doctors knew that he was American but without anything further to go on, they were at a cross roads.

All they knew him as Charlie.

"Hello Charlie!" The Doctor would greet him," How are we today?"

"We are not doing well," He would grumble, this was frustrating, He was being poked and prodded with no results..

Half the doctors couldn't come with a reasoning for his memory loss except to think that maybe he'd gotten conked in the head with something heavy. And The hope his vision would clear up so but they kept a large bandage across his eyes just to avoid infection.

While He'd been unconscious, he'd mumbled asking for his "Darling", but had no recollection of saying it.

The Doctor had decided that maybe speaking with a Psychologist may help this mysterious patient. To Jog His Memory in a way the Doctors couldn't.

A another voice entered Charlie's hospital room, "Hello My Name is Jenny, May I call you Charlie"

That name caused a pause in Charlie, almost like a flicker, "Yes I suppose it's alright"

"Why, I see you've come here after an explosion, do you know what happened?" She asked gently not wanting to pry, she could see he was already distressed.

"No I can't remember anything, I was ..in a store ..' He ran his hands through his chestnut brown hair, "I think"

"Okay, we'll find that out later, You sound American, where are you from?"

Charlie was at a loss, nothing was clicking and he was growing tired.

"We can Try Later, Just one more question."

"Sure .."

"What is your last name?"

Charlie Paused, "Maxiumus, I think"


	3. A Separate Hart?

Hart Industries

Jennifer was nervous, she'd been here countless times as Jonathan's wife and a board member but this time, she was in charge of the whole company, She still had to answer to the Board but the day to day executive decisions were up to her. Max wanted to come with her like he was dropping her off at school but she had insisted that he simply drop her off at the curb, she felt like a teenager but Max agreed, he would agree to anything if it meant she got out of bed.

The first few days after the explosion, she'd crawled into bed and refused to budge, going so far as to go on a hunger strike but in true Max Form, He'd made sure she ate, even spoon feeding her so she wouldn't make herself sick.

Often when she was tired of lying in bed and crying, she'd sit in the bay window and watch the camera crews set up across the street, just hoping for movement inside the gated community, Jennifer would wonder when they would give up but when she saw Max giving them bottles of water and sandwiches, she knew that they were there for the long haul.

Jennifer finally pulled herself together and decided this was the moment she had to forge her new path, she put on her power dress, the dress Jonathan said made her look like a sexy socialite off to have a fling with the tennis pro and then to lunch with her rich husband.

Max drove her to Hart Industries, and for a few minutes, she felt Paralyzed with fear, that this wasn't right, that Jonathan should be up in his office on the 20th floor with his view overlooking all of downtown Los Angeles.

"Mrs. H, you can wait a few extra days," Max's voice broke into her thoughts

"It's now or never. " She said sighing and getting out of the car.

Jennifer walked through the revolving door and into the Main Lobby, just off to her right was the large Oil Portrait she'd had commissioned of Jonathan for the 10th Anniversary of Hart Industries, she remembered when she unveiled to him, he'd commented how he never realized how big his head was or that he was ridiculously handsome in a Cary Grant way.

She stopped in front of it, "Wish me Luck, Darling," and took the elevator up to the 20th floor, Jennifer walked, eyes forward from the stares as she passed people, knowing they were whispering about the Widow Hart.

Jonathan's assistant and Personal Secretary Deena Andrews was sitting at her desk, a pretty petite blonde whom Jonathan considered, after Jennifer of course, his right arm and she knew more about the company than even he did.

"Hello Deena," Jennifer said quietly.

"Mrs. Hart!" Deena jumped up, "Welcome, I have everything arranged for your day."

Jennifer had to admit, Deena's eagerness made her forget her broke heart for the moment and she was grateful that Deena hadn't mentioned Jonathan yet.

"Alright let's get to work," Jennifer stood outside Jonathan's office.

After several minutes, Deena cleared her throat, "Mrs. Hart?"

"I'm sorry, right .." She opened the office door and put her briefcase on the large oak office, "What do we have first?"

"A Board meeting in 15 then a stockholder's meeting at 11 then a conference call with Tokyo and somewhere in between Stanley Freson will come barging in here with the budget for next Month's quarterly. Then Lunch followed by a Meeting with Sophie Evans and if you have time, possible a quick meeting down in Fashion with Ophelia Reagan for the new Hart line."

Jennifer's head was spinning, No Wonder Jonathan often came home and went straight to the bar. "Okay, Let's get started. "

"Oh and if you could review these documents before the board meeting, it would help," Deena handed her a stack of papers.

Jennifer started to read them slowly but Deena was impatient, "Why don't we wait on those instead, we've got to get you to the board meeting,"

Jennifer stood up, "Deena, You are a wonder, Thank you,"

Deena blushed and hurried Jennifer to the conference room, "You'll be meeting with Theodore Perry, Raymond Fez and Steven Hyde, remember that Mr. Fez is deaf in his right ear while Mr. Perry doesn't have a censor in his head so don't be surprised at whatever comes out"

"Oh Great and Mr. Hyde?"

"Huge Drunk," Deena nodded and brought her into the conference room.

"Hello Gentleman," Jennifer turned on her brightest fake smile

"Mrs. Hart," Raymond Fez,a portly man with a balding head and mustache stood up, "Let me be the first one to extend our deepest sympathies to you on the death of Mr. Hart, he was a great man."

Jennifer swallowed, "Thank you,"

"Eh?" He extended his head forward to hear her

"THANK YOU" She practically screamed.

"Mrs. Hart!" Mr. Perry, a slender man with a head of dark hair opened his arms to give Jennifer a hug but remembering what Deena said, she instead shook his hand. "Glad to have you on Board, little Darlin"

"Thank you," She sidestepped to meet Mr. Hyde, who swayed a little and she could smell his breath from across the room, She took a deep breath and shook his hand

"Mrs. Hart, how wonderful to see you, I gotta say your husband was one of the best son of a bitches I've ever met!" Mr. Hyde was a medium built sandy hair from the south.

"Thank you," She backtracked quickly and sat in a chair.

"Mrs. Hart, That's Mr. Hart's chair, "Deena whispered and pointed to the end of the conference table, Jennifer quickly stood up and sat down.

"Mrs. Hart, Let's get down to brass tack here, Are you really up to the task of running a corporation of this caliber?" Mr. Fez asked

Jennifer was taken back for a bit, " Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because and no offense Darlin, you just buried your husband, this isn't something that a recently widowed woman should take on," He continued.

"What Mr. Fez means is that isn't a bit premature before you decide to take on such a risky venture?" Mr. Hyde asked

Jennifer took a pause, "I believe that I can do this job because I had an excellent teacher but If you don't think after a trial period that I'm not living up to Jonathan Hart's legacy, I will step aside without fanfare and leave what my husband built from the ground up."

All three of them nodded.

"Give me six months and if by then, that the company isn't up to expectation, I'll go" She continued.

All three men nodded, "Six months" They said in unison.

"Fine now that is over with, What is first on the docket, "She set her eyes on firm and her jaw line.

"One of our auto companies in Sandusky, Ohio ..Callahan Auto is hemorrhaging money since T.B. Callahan took over and we're thinking of severing ties to avoid a big financial loss" Mr. Fez said

"Why is it Hemorrhaging money?" Jennifer asked

"Excuse me," Mr. Hyde asked

"Why is Callahan Auto Hemorrhaging money?" Jennifer repeated

All three men weren't sure of the answer.

"Before we decide to pull funding, I want to find out why, Have someone down in Finance do some research and in the meantime, Why don't we have T.B. Callahan himself come in for a meeting?" Jennifer said

"Why?" Mr. Perry asked

"Why? Because I would like to have a face to face and find out if there are other reasons that This once successful company is drowning," Jennifer raised her eyebrow that immediately shut up the three men up, "Deena, will you arrange for T.B. Callahan to fly out immediately?"

"Yes Ma'am," Deena nodded, checking her watch, "Mrs. Hart, you are due for that conference call,"

"Right, Well thank you Gentleman" She stood up and walked out with Deena, "I need a decontamination shower after that,"

Deena laughed.

The rest of the day just flew by, there were so many people who wanted her attention and were begging for just five minutes but she somehow managed to cope and when the day was over and Max was out front waiting for her, she practically collapsed in the seat.

"How was it?" Max pulled away.

"The other kids were nice but some were mean," She said closing her eyes and falling asleep

Max laughed and drove them home.

 _AMERICAN HOSPITAL- PARIS_

The American Patient Charlie had improved his injuries from his accident enough to be able to be moved into a Private Room, he was still having very little memory recall and was still blind but he'd been able to get up and move around.

Jenny, his therapist was trying to figure out a way to bring out more information from him but wasn't having any luck. He remembered the Last time the Lakers won and whether or not the Rams had a shot in hell of making a comeback but for simple information such as whether or not he had a family or if he even had a job.

Often Jenny noticed that when she probed further, He retreated into himself and would grow quiet. A few nights the nurses noted that he would call out "Jennifer" in his sleep, when he wasn't having night terrors.

Sometimes she wondered if he wasn't having selective memory loss because he could recall details that were clues to his past but couldn't elaborate on and he could speak both French and American. This man was a true enigma but Jenny was determined to put the pieces together.

One day, She found him walking in the Gardens of the Hospital, some of the patients had built a community garden and with fountains as well as benches, it was like a modern day Garden of Eden. With the Bandages around his eyes and the walking cane, He looked so lost.

"Mr. Charlie," She called quietly

"Hello Jenny," He said feeling his way to the bench and sitting down.

"How are you feeling today?" She sat beside him.

"About the same," He said, she noticed that he had a habit of touching his chin when he was concerned about something.

"I've spoken to the Doctors and the Nurses, they said you are making excellent progress except that you are having night terrors," She put her hand on his.

"I wouldn't call them night terrors exactly, sometimes I have dreams where I'm being chased with a girl who has the reddest hair I've ever seen and it seems like we're constantly running away from someone. Other times, I can hear her laughter and I can see us dancing around a room and, it's so stupid," Charlie swallowed

"I'm sure it's not,"

"There's a song I keep hearing but I'm not sure of the words or if it's even a song. It's almost haunting," He looked away.

Jenny paused, "Can you sing it for me"

Charlie Cleared His Throat, "Let me call you sweetheart, I'm in love with you," He stopped, "That's all I remember."

"That's a very famous song, I'm sure it has some significant reason behind it." Jenny paused, "I'd like to try something along the lines of Hypnosis to try to recover your memory, if you'd like,"

"It's worth a shot," Charlie couldn't but feel like a growing connection to Jenny.

Much more than just Patient and Doctor.


	4. Opening His Hart

Har **t Industries**

 **The days following Jennifer's takeover of Hart Industries seemed to get easier, she found that when she made decisions that other employees come to her with, she liked being the one in control.**

 **But she never wanted to be seen as a dictator or someone that couldn't be approached by the employees, she wanted to be seen as Jonathan was, beloved.**

 **It had been a few weeks since the explosion and although her heart was broken, she wasn't crying as much, but there wasn't a moment where she didn't think of him or wonder if she'd made the right decision but with Max by her side, she felt a bit stronger every day.**

 **The support she'd received from everyone was overwhelming and she'd decided that instead of the constant flowers that was turning her house into a Garden, she'd instead give them to the hospital, to those who needed a desperate pick-me up.**

 **But something in her wanted to create a legacy for Jonathan, something he'd be proud of and it took Max to come up with the idea, accidentally or on purpose she wasn't sure but it was still a great idea.**

 **To raise funds for a Completely renovated Mission Street Orphange and to create scholarships so a child, if they chose could become an employee of Hart Industries in the field of their choosing. It was a billion dollar project that felt like her own baby.**

 **Jennifer wanted the best and she didn't care what it cost, this was going to be her husband's legacy.**

 **But first the meeting with T.B. Callahan and the future of Callahan Auto in Ohio.**

 **T.B. Callahan was a big guy, a bit clumsy but a generally good guy, he'd inherited his father's business after he died and although he'd tried very hard, there was still a lot to learn.**

 **On the day he arrived at Hart Industries, He went to the wrong floor and nearly knocked over a coffee kiosk then when he came through the elevator doors, he knocked over a secretary who had some files in her hands and knocked heads with her trying to help her pick up her papers that had flown everywhere.**

 **Deena watched from her seat in the middle of the office and called Jennifer on the phone, "I think T.B. Callahan is here,"**

" **Oh boy, Jonathan used to say He was like a tornado," Jennifer laughed and walked out to the main office.**

 **He was still on the floor, mumbling "Sorry, Really Sorry," When she approached him.**

" **Mr. Callahan?" Jennifer asked**

 **T.B. looked up to meet her face, she was wearing a black skirt and white shirt with her black jacket and hair pulled back with a clip, She looked so beautiful he was speechless.**

" **Hello, I'm Jennifer Hart," She put her hand out.**

 **From the floor, he grabbed her arm and shook with all her might, she felt the bones in her arm crack, Obviously he didn't know his strength.**

 **He also couldn't get off the floor without help. She braced her heels to the floor and pulled him up.**

" **I'm Tom Callahan Jr," He mumbled.**

" **But you are called ..T. B?" Jennifer was confused.**

" **That was just a nickname my Dad gave me," He said pulling up his pants, "Tommy boy,"**

" **Oh That's so adorable" They walked together to her office.**

" **Boy, my Dad used to tell me about how big this was but he never said it was this big, Wow!" Tom was stunned he could see through the large windows all of Los Angeles as they entered the office and she pointed to the chair in front of the desk.**

" **How is your Dad?" She said sitting behind the large oak desk.**

 **T.B's face darkened for a moment before he spoke, "He passed away last year,"**

 **Jennifer's heart instantly sank, "I'm so sorry, please accept my apologizes and my sincere condolences,"**

" **It's okay," He shook his head, "I was real sorry to hear about Mr. Hart, He was a good man,"**

" **He was, Thank you," She cleared her throat. "So Tom, tell me about your company,"**

" **Right now, It's the only company keep Sandusky alive, We're almost to the brink of Chapter 11 because we can't keep up with companies that have the latest technology to make parts faster but still maintain the highest quality. The bank is about to shut our doors down and if that happens, we'll lose everything. I don't care about myself but I care about the employees, I've known most of them since I was a kid and these are the hardest working employees I've ever seen. These people are the only family I've got " Tom shifted from Goofball to serious .**

 **Jennifer listened and she knew what he meant, Max was her only family now and the Employees of Hart industries was an extension of that family.**

 **Without a word, she reached over to the phone and buzzed Deena, "Deena"**

" **Yes, Mrs. Hart?" Deena answered**

" **Can you send Stanley Fresan in, please?" She answered, then released the phone button, "Mr. Fresan is our executive financial officer,"**

 **Tom nodded, he looked around the office at the many pictures of both Jonathan and Jennifer, he envied their infamous relationship.**

 **Stanley must have run from his office from the 17 floor to the 18** **th** **because he was out of breath and his face was bright red.**

" **Stanley! Are you okay?!" Jennifer jumped up, "You didn't have to run!"**

" **I'm fine, Mrs. Hart, what do you need," Stanley asked wiping his face with his jacket sleeve**

" **Stanley, This Tom Callahan, I want you and him to work together to help out Callahan auto, whatever he needs, please help him get it." She helped Stanley sit beside T.B.**

" **Thank you, Mrs. Hart," T.B. was so excited, he picked her up and gave her a giant hug.**

" **No, Tom, thank you for reminding me why this job was so important" She laughed.**

 **On the way home, she felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted off her shoulders and for the first time in a while that she was going to be okay, her heart would always miss Jonathan and she would grieve for him for the rest of her life but for the moment, she felt lighter.**

 **Jennifer pulled into the driveway and practically skipped into the house, she opened the door and called, "Honey, I'm home!"**

 **Max appeared in the living room, wearing a frilly apron with Freeway at his heels, "Hi, Mrs. H!"**

 **She had to laugh when she saw him, "Another cooking lessons from Sophie down the block?"**

" **This week, Moroccan food," He laughed, "Would you like a martini?"**

" **Sure," She sat down on the floor and played with Freeway, who was so excited to see her, she kissed his furry little face.**

 **Max went behind the bar, "Sammy called and said that the big poker game is scheduled for next Saturday Night, the 10** **th** **"**

" **That's fine, I'll call Harry and make sure that the usual order will be ready?" She was rubbing Freeway's belly when a thought crossed her mind, "Wait, the 10** **th** **?" She stood up and ran to the desk, "then today is the ..30** **th** **?" she ran her finger across the calendar, counting back**

" **31** **st** **" Max corrected**

" **Oh no, Oh no," She counted mentally.**

" **What's wrong, Mrs. H?" Max brought over her martini**

" **I'm late, Max"**

" **Late for what?" Max handed her the glass, "It's 5'clock,are you late for a dinner meeting?"**

" **Not that kind of late,Max" She dropped into the office chair and put her hands over her head.**

 **The American Hospital- Paris**

 **Charlie had made enough progress with his disability and determination that He'd been moved to his own private suite on the Hospital campus that had been set up for VIP's visiting, with access to a Private Chef, round the clock nurses and a large bedroom where he could rest peacefully, He still was having to learn to adjust to being blind but he had a determination to become more than what he currently was and with Jenny by his side, he felt almost invincible. She gave him hope when he was down and he hadn't felt that way in a long time.**

 **Except maybe in his past life, because every she said her name, his heart leapt just a bit almost as if it were trying to remember something from his past. Because somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind, there was something familiar about that name or a variation on it but it was like his own mind was protecting him from being hurt.**

 **It took some convincing for the doctors by Jenny to convince them to try hypnosis but eventually after so many weeks of failed attempts to bring his memory back, they were desperate to try anything.**

 **The time had come and Jenny along with two assistants, Lola and Serena brought Charlie from his bungalow to an empty hospital bed, ensuring he was comfortable and that if he became agitated, they could stop immediately and let him rest.**

" **Charlie, we're going to get started," Jenny announced, "What time is it"**

 **Lola checked her watch, "it's 1:50,"**

 **Charlie chuckled, "I doubt this Is going to work, I don't really believe in this hocus pocus,"**

" **Charlie, We'll stop if you want us to," She took his hand**

 **He squeezed her hand, his fingers feeling her ring, the one that she said had been her grandmother's, "I trust you,"**

 **She nodded to the other two,** **"** Charlie, As you relax, I want you to create in your mind a mental image of a grand staircase; a  
grand staircase that either curves to the left or curves to the right.

It has a grand banister with ornate artwork.

[Pause]

This heavenly flight of stairs has ten steps.

[Pause]

You are at the top of the ten stairs.

[Pause]

In a minute, you are going to slowly move, in your mind's eye, from the tenth stair, to  
the ninth stair…

From the ninth stair, to the eighth, all the way down, until eventually you get to the very  
last stair.

When you get to the bottom of the staircase, you are going to step off into a giant  
restful feather bed; a place of complete tranquility and comfort and peace.

[Pause]

As you relax, imagine yourself at the top of the grand staircase..

Moving now from the tenth stair, to the ninth stair…

With each slow movement from one step to the next… you become more relaxed.

This sensation of relaxation not only doubles or triples, but is ten times more powerful  
than the previous step.

Now move from the ninth step… to the eighth step…

And from the eighth… to the seventh…

Relaxing even further…

Allowing your mind to drift…

And your body to relax.

From seven to six…

Six to five…

Doing good…

Five to four…

Almost there…

Quadrupling the sensation of relaxation…

Peace and serenity…

Three…

Two…

One...

In your mind's eye, down on that bottom step.

With the next step, you are going to step off this heavenly flight of stairs into a state of  
total relaxation, and comfortably rest on a feather bed, or a comfortable pillow that you  
have created in your mind.

One…

Zero…

All the way down now, totally relaxed…

Opening the subconscious mind to new thoughts, new ideas, and new experiences."

 _Jenny finished and saw that Charlie was under, "Charlie, what's the last thing you remember before the accident?"_

" _Standing in a Jewelry store," He breathed deeply, "picking a present for Jennifer"_

 _All three exchanged looks_

" _Charlie, Who is Jennifer?" Jenny asked_

" _My best girl. I'm the luckiest guy in the world" He sighed, "My name isn't Charlie,"_

" _Then what is your name?" Jenny asked watching her tone._

" _My name is Jonathan Charles Hart"_

 _Lola's eyes opened wide and she picked up the paper, which had been thrown onto side table , that had an article about the death of Industrialist, Jonathan Charles Hart from America" and held it up._

" _Charlie, where do you live?" Jenny's eyes widened_

" _At Willow Pond" He shifted in his seat, "I miss my Jennifer, where is she?"_

" _We'll find her," Jenny answered._

 _His face suddenly shifted and he began to yell incoherently that Jennifer was in danger, he startled all three women and when he fell out of the chair, Jenny knew she'd gone too far and had to bring him back._

" _Charlie, When I snap my fingers, you'll feel as if you've just woken up from a deep nap, ready? 1, 2, 3" She snapped her fingers and his eyes opened wide as if woken from a nap._

" _How did I get on the floor," Charlie was surprised. "Did it work?"_

 _Lola spoke quietly, "Time ..2:45."_

" _What?" Charlie was confused and very tired, the hypnosis had drained what little energy he'd had._

" _Maybe we should get Mr. Charlie back to his room," Serena said quietly_

" _I agree," All three women helped Charlie to his feet and back to his room, where he collapsed into bed and fell asleep almost immediately._

" _Jenny, what do we do about Mr. Charlie?" Lola whispered._

" _Nothing, he's too fragile right now," Jenny whispered back, "When the time is right, we'll tell him,"_

 _Both Lola and Serena exchanged worried looks._


	5. A Found Hart?

HART HOUSE

After Max finally understood what she meant about late and made a secret run to the grocery store for a pregnancy test, Jennifer wondered around the house, she was so confused.

This had been something she and Jonathan had wanted so long and when it didn't happen, she was okay with it, it didn't change her feelings for Jonathan, maybe she didn't want a baby as bad as she thought.

But she knew Jonathan did, he'd bought a bunch of baby books and hidden them in the bookshelf, she'd come across them one afternoon when he was at the office and she was searching for a reference book but she never let him know that she'd found them because why make him feel worse?

Jennifer decided that the wait was torturing her downstairs and to go upstairs, she walked into their giant bedroom closet to the full-length mirror where she would dress up for her evenings out with Jonathan.

Because she had a reputation to uphold, she would shop at the best stores in LA, From Chanel to Valentino to Dolce and Gabbana, all the best labels. Her closet was something to be envied.

Except now, apart from going to the Office, she didn't go out anywhere anymore, she wasn't ready to date and she felt that she was betraying Jonathan if she did.

Jennifer walked passed the mirror and without thinking, grabbed a pillow and stuffed it under her shirt to make it look like she was pregnant.

She stood there for several minutes and felt excited but a bit sad, could she raise this baby without Jonathan? Did she want to give up all the new and exciting things that were on the horizon as the new CEO of Hart Industries?

She looked around and started talking to the baby, "Hello little one, I hope to see you soon"

Jennifer was still standing in closet in front of the Mirror when Max came in with the tests and bottles of Gatorade for her to drink

"I wasn't sure what kind to get so I got that the Lady to help me," He said gruffly handing her a bag

"How many did you buy?!" She had ripped the pillow out from under her shirt when he'd come in, it looked like Max had bought out the entire pregnancy aisle.

"Well, it's been a while since I had one of these scares and a lot's change since the old days when the rabbit died of shock so I just figured," He shrugged

"Thank you," She kissed his cheek, "I'll be back" she took the bag and went upstairs.

While she was gone, Max took Freeway in his lap at the kitchen table, "Your Mom might be giving you a sibling, I sure wish your Dad was here, He'd be so excited." Max rubbed his little ears.

Jennifer came back down to the kitchen, 10 minutes later with one of the tests in her hand.

Max, ever the gentlemen, immediately stood up when she came back in, "Well," He hadn't been this nervous.

Ever.

She hopped on the counter, "We have to wait 10 minutes," She said putting the test beside her.

For some reason, they couldn't speak to each other, they were each a bundle of nerves and a little bit of excitement.

Jennifer broke the silence, "I'm scared, I'm really scared,"

Max wasn't surprised, she wasn't exactly Mom material, he remembered when Riley came to stay with them and Jennifer sort of steered clear of her because Riley had gravitated toward Jonathan but Max could understand why.

She'd been the only girl in Jonathan Hart's life and she wasn't about to let that go for anyone including a child but now that he was gone, this was the last little bit she could hold on to.

"Mrs. H, you'll do terrific, you can do anything." Max was never anything but supportive even when they got themselves into trouble and that was what she loved most about him.

Jennifer reached her hand out to Max's and held on, "Okay, let's do this together," They both took a deep breath and looked down.

 **A YEAR LATER**

Jennifer was nervous about being in Paris since the accident but duty called and her stint as Hart CEO was flourishing, she could take the company to new heights and exceed the expectations of the Board, it was indeed as if Jonathan Hart hadn't existed or rather had left the company in the best possible hands.

But still, Jennifer wasn't sure she was ready for this, Although Max had insisted that everything would be fine, that she would be fine and returning to Paris was something that Jonathan would insist on her doing, she was strong enough to handle this.

This time, she was headed for Paris to delegate a deal that would create a new Hart Industries, this deal was worth Billions but to secure the deal, she'd have to move them to Paris to oversee everything.

So Much Had Changed for her but there wasn't a moment that she didn't wish she could trade it for a moment with Jonathan.

There were days when she was positive that she'd seen him walking down the street, that He was simply in hiding and unable to contact her and then there were days when the realization of his death would literally drown her.

Jennifer rode through the streets of Paris, passed all the places that had been important to both her and Jonathan, the restaurant where they shared their first meal together, the bar where she drank way too much champagne and when he brought her back to his room, she passed out in his bed, only to wake up the next morning wearing her business suit next a man she hardly knew and a damning headache.

After downing two cups of coffee and Advil left by Max discreetly on a silver platter, she had felt somewhat better but still couldn't believe she'd spent the night with a man she hardly knew and when she tried to sneak out, Jonathan had grabbed her by the arm and pulled her onto his chest.

She remembered the boat ride on the Thames and how seasick she got, a combination from the champagne breakfast and fish smell and how when she got sick all over her clothes, Jonathan insisted on buying her a new dress.

Jennifer arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel and was checking in when a voice from behind, a voice that she'd heard a thousand times in her dreams, a voice she'd wish more than anything she could speak to again.

"Hello, is my fiancée here," the Voice asked another Concierge.

"Not yet, Sir." The Concierge replied

"When she does arrive, please tell her I'll be in the bar," The mysterious voice said

Jennifer was in shock, she turned slowly and saw familiar blue eyes.

"Oh my god!" She gasped

His face was different, he now had a beard and it look like some scars from stitching but she'd know that face anywhere. "Jonathan?!"

"I'm sorry?" the man asked

She couldn't speak and accidentally knocked over her purse.

The man bent down to help her and she couldn't breathe, could it be? Was he alive?

"My name is Charlie Maxiumus, what's yours?"

She swallowed hard, "Jennifer Hart,"

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Miss Hart," He handed her back her purse before disappearing into the bar.

"That man, does he come to the restaurant every day?" Jennifer was frantic.

"Yes, His fiancée works at the hospital around the corner, is everything alright?"

"No," She took her room key and went upstairs, closing the door, she hyperventilated.

If Jonathan hadn't died, Why didn't he come home to her?


	6. A reunited Hart?

The Four Seasons- Paris

Jennifer was in shock, or maybe she was losing her mind, either way she had to lay down on the floor.

How could Jonathan be alive? And why didn't he recognize her?

She had a million questions running through her mind and there was no way to answer any of them.

But Jennifer had to see him, if anything just to make sure she wasn't losing her mind again.

She took a deep breath and went to the bathroom to wash her face and straighten her hair, 13-hour flight from Los Angeles to Paris had left her exhausted.

But then again, she hadn't slept a lot in the past year.

Not since Zara Edwards Hart had been born on a rainy night in California, she'd almost been born at home but a last-minute decision by Max to call an ambulance had saved both Zara and Jennifer's life.

Max had been her savior the past year, anytime she felt like she'd couldn't handle both Zara and the Office, he'd remind her of how important both were and that if she needed to, she could always bring Zara to the Office Daycare she'd had set up because she knew that her legacy was now for Zara.

But she couldn't think too much about her Baby at home with Max, she had to see that man again, because it couldn't have been Jonathan, could it?

She quickly ran a brush through her hair and left the hotel room, rushing down to the elevator.

Jennifer hadn't been this excited in a long time and she had to admit, she was nervous.

She rode the elevator and went to the restaurant bar, looking around she didn't see him. Sitting at the bar, she wondered if maybe exhaustion hadn't clouded her judgement and she was imaging that the man was Jonathan

"Drink, Miss?" the Bartender asked

"Martini, dry two olives," She said quietly

"I'll have the same," a voice said sitting beside her.

Her heart skipped and she turned to look at those familiar eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't formally introduce myself when we met before but I just can't shake the feeling like I've met you before, my name is Charlie" He extended his hand, "Have you been in Paris long?'

The Bartender put her glass down in front of her, "No, not for a while," She took a long sip then shook Charlie's hand.

"Me either, I've only been here a year or so," He drank from his own glass, "I'm supposed to meet my fiancée here but I guess she had to work overtime,"

"Oh," Her heart plummeted to the floor, "I'm here for business,"

"Well, Miss. Hart, was it? would you like to have dinner with me" He felt nervous, like he was cheating on his fiancée but something about this woman made him feel familiar.

The truth was since he'd been released from the Clinic after regaining most of his sight back, Charlie still felt a bit lost, Sure, Jenny had told him bits and pieces of his life, how he'd come from America and been in an accident but that was all she could tell him.

His life before obviously had not meant much and with no one coming forward to provide information, he hadn't seen the point of returning to the States. But deep in his heart, sitting next to this stranger and when he touched her hand, he felt a spark.

Something he was missing often with Jenny, as much as he felt he loved her, he felt that she was often holding back and that was she afraid of something but as much as he prodded and asked questions but she never wanted to answer and he was so tired of competing with her job, he knew that Jenny's job was important but he didn't want to feel like he was second or even third.

Normally he would never be this forward with anyone but for this stranger, there was something about this mysterious stranger he was curious about.

Jennifer drank her martini quickly, "Yes! And You can call me Jennifer"

He laughed, that sound she'd missed so much, "Well, Jennifer. We'd better get some food into you, now"

He climbed off the barstool, stood beside her and waited for her.

Jennifer still didn't understand why he didn't recognize her, how could you not recognize a person you've made love to a thousand times? But something in her was afraid to push it, that maybe he'd been hurt and couldn't remember her.

But still, she got off the bar stool wobbling a bit and started to fall forward but he managed to catch her.

"Thanks" the buzz from the martini started to affect her, normally it would take two or three to make her tipsy but she guessed since the Baby, her alcohol intake level was lower than normal.

Charlie shook his head and closed his eyes, something in his head started to hurt

"Charlie?" Jennifer asked, "Are you okay?"

"No, something doesn't feel right…" Charlie said gripping her arm

"Let's go to my room, I have some aspirin," She guided him to the elevators

"You don't have to do this, really I'll be okay" He said, shaking his head, often he would have these terrible headaches and nothing could stop them, the Doctors believed it was because his vision had been impaired for so long, that his brain needed time to heal as well.

"Please, let me" Jennifer pleaded, maybe this wasn't the best decision, but it was all she could think of in that moment was that her heart was beating and all she wanted to do was kiss him.

He let Jennifer take him upstairs and into her room, "Why don't you lay down and get some rest," She suggested, after digging through her purse to find the aspirin.

He nodded and took the pills, sitting on the edge of the bed he rubbed his head, "I know this is going to sound crazy but have we met before?"

She wasn't sure what to say. He continued, "Or maybe you are a famous actress that I've seen on Television before,"

She laughed, "I do get a lot of Stefanie Powers. . Maybe in a past life we knew each other," She sat down beside him.

Looking around the room, he notices the photo album that she'd tossed out of her purse when she was looking for the Aspirin, "What's that?" pointing to the table where it looked like a photo album was tossed on top

"Oh, that is just something I carry with me when I feel lonely and I miss home," Jennifer reached for the book and pulled it open, Max had made it for her after her first day back at the Office, he'd taken his phone and taken all sorts of shots of Baby Zara so that she wouldn't feel like she missed anything.

"Who's that?" Charlie pointed to a picture of Max and Zara on the beach, "He looks familiar."

"That's my friend Max" She was slow to answer, "With my daughter, Zara"

"Max, Max." He repeated the name repeatedly as if he was trying to kick start his memory.

Max had put together some other photos of Jonathan and Jennifer as well but Jennifer didn't realize it until she flipped the page and saw the pictures of them, one where they were standing with a famous basketball player, another that Max had taken of them on "Hart One" just as he was about to kiss her.

"Wait, who is that?" Charlie pointed to the picture.

"That was my husband, he passed away last year," She said quietly and quickly closing the book

"Let me see it," Charlie said holding out his hand for the book

"Really, it's nothing" She said putting the book down and stood up, "We should go downstairs for dinner."

"Jennifer, please show me that picture," Charlie was becoming insistent, "Please"

"Okay," She flipped the book open to the picture of Jonathan and her, Charlie took the picture out the album and studied the picture, he was staring back at his own face and he couldn't understand why, Had he been married to this mysterious woman and never knew it?

His head began to ache even more, "I think I'd better skip dinner, I'm not feeling too good" He stood up to leave when Jennifer stood in front of him, blocking his exit

"You don't have to go, you can rest here," Jennifer was afraid if he left, she'd never see him again.

"No I'd better go, but I'd like to see you again, if you'll let me" He kissed her forehead and went to the door

"Please," She whispered, her heart sinking to the floor

Charlie nodded and left the hotel room, suddenly he was furious and he knew just who to blame, He didn't even realize how angry he was until he was back at the place he'd called home for the past year and he felt like putting his fist through the wall.

Jenny must have known, there was no way she didn't know.

He marched up to Jenny's floor, she'd been recently promoted to Head nurse and with that promotion, a significant change in duties that he could see how happy it made her, much happier than Charlie had been making her recently.

"Where's Jenny?" He demanded to know, Lola was sitting behind the desk

"I think she's down in the lounge, Are you okay, Charlie?" Lola had been waiting for this day for months, for the moment when the revelation would come to light and Charlie would learn his identity.

Lola had begged Jenny to tell him but Jenny had insisted he wasn't ready, that he was too fragile to handle such a moment and the more she prolonged telling him, the harder it got.

"No, I'm not" He said before stomping off to the Nurses lounge where Jenny was with her colleagues.

Jenny was in the middle of a conversation with a fellow nurse when the other nurse's eyes widened, and Jenny spun around, she'd never seen Charlie so angry before

"Darling?" She asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I need to speak with you, alone!" He was trying to control his anger so much that he began to shake.

Jenny became afraid, "We can talk here,"

He set his jaw firmly in place, "No, I don't want to make a scene .."

The lounge quickly cleared out.

"Charlie, what's happened?" She'd never see this side of him before.

"When I was a patient here and you did the Hypnosis, You said afterward that I hadn't made sense and it was just rambling, that nothing came of it. Was that the truth?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Liar!" He slammed his hands down on the table, "If nothing came of it then did I meet a woman today, who was carrying my picture?"

"I uh don't know," She stuttered.

"Who am I?" He yelled.


	7. a Revealing Hart?

**Paris: Siene River**

After Charlie had confronted Jenny about who he was and she still refused to answer, he was flustered as to his next step. Should he stay with Jenny, who had taken care of him for a year after his accident or go to Jennifer, who he must have had a relationship with before his accident, he must have loved her but the pain in his head began to cloud his judgement.

He started to walk, He wasn't even paying attention to where he was going until he found himself in front of the Siene River and sat down on a bench, he had been there many times with Jenny but something about this spot seemed so familiar, He stared out at the cold water, feeling lost.

"Hey Stranger," a familiar voice called out to him, Charlie smiled

"How did you know I was here?', He asked surprised, She knew him so well, it was almost like they were attached at the mindset.

"Actually, I was on my way here. This was a favorite spot of Ours," Jennifer said sitting beside him.

"Are you positive that I'm your husband," He said quietly, He didn't want to disappoint her if he wasn't who Jennifer thought he was, the truth was, He wanted to feel like he belonged to someone or somewhere, to know he had a past that mattered and that he was loved.

"I don't know what I'm positive about anymore but you look so much like him," Jennifer stopped touching his face and put her hand on his chest and heart, "My heart says that you are Jonathan,"

" I wish I knew if I were him, it would make life so much easier but you could help me by telling me about him, it might help jog my memory," Charlie held her hand, he felt a familiar spark and he smiled quickly.

Jennifer took a deep, "What do you want to know? personality? His or rather your childhood, His success at Everything, Jonathan had the Midas touch and his compassion for others was amazing"

"Anything," He was so desperate for information that might jog his memory or at least a flash.

"Well, let's see, there's so much to tell," She honestly didn't know what to say to him, it might have been the first time in their marriage, she was at a loss for words, she supposed she could have started at the way beginning, Mission Street Orphanage but Jonathan rarely spoke about that time in his life, only that he wished that he could have had a better childhood, parents to love him. It was a source of pain for him and she never wanted him to feel that he was that scared little kid ever again.

"Tell me about this spot," He offered her an out seeing her being flustered, pointing to the Water and the surrounding park.

"It was at a Costume Party, held by one of the richest widows in Paris, Seraphina Benson, who was quite eccentric but such fun, she threw the best costume parties and I had gone dressed as Poison Ivy because she'd insisted that with my red hair, I couldn't possibly pull off Bat-Girl or the Girl from UNCLE. I had the most beautiful flowers in my hair and wore a green leotard so tight, well it was amazing I was able to get blood to my face," She laughed," Somehow Seraphina convinced me to go on this huge couch that was carried in by Men in Loincloths and when they carried me, everybody cheered and suddenly people started rushing toward me, the men I guess got spooked and started jerking the couch, it tipped and I nearly fell off, Suddenly I was swept up by a strange man in a Zorro Mask, He carried me through this crowd without a word and When He finally put me down, it was in this spot. It was also the first time We kissed," She smiled

"It was the Lone Ranger," He said slowly, "I had come dressed as the Lone Ranger," He wasn't sure where that had come from but that story sounded familiar

"It was! Oh, my god! Are you back?" She jumped into his arms but was disappointed when he didn't immediately respond. She immediately felt embarrassed and stepped back

He didn't know what to say to her, he wanted so much to be Jonathan she wanted him to be but he didn't see how he could when he couldn't even remember who he was.

She could feel the tears pouring out of her eyes, staring out at the Siene, she finally realized what she needed to do for both her and Zara.

Jennifer let go.

"I have a meeting in the Morning and then I'm leaving for California in the Afternoon." She said quietly. "You've obviously created a life for yourself here in Paris and I can't force you to become something you are not, which is Jonathan, just as I know he would not ask me to give up on that was so important to me. I guess I wanted so much for Jonathan to come back, that I didn't realize the consequences it would cause. " Jennifer wiped her eyes

"I want so much to be Jonathan, to know myself but I just feel so lost in my head that I don't know what to do," He said taking her hand and using his thumb, he erased her tears.

"I love you," She kissed his face and walked away.

"I love you too," He said to her back.

Charlie walked for hours, wondering how things became so out of control, how he could possibly love two women at the same time and he also thought of Baby Zara, a chance that a daughter of his could grow up and not know who her father was made his heart hurt.

He knew what it was like to grow up alone and he wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Charlie found himself back at Jennifer's hotel, He wasn't sure why or even how but something made him want to see her again. Charlie went to her room and knocked.

She'd just come out of the shower and was drying her hair when she heard the door and adjusting her robe, she answered the door.

Jennifer was surprised to see him and stepped aside to let him, she figured they could talk and maybe she remind him of his memories with her.

Except he had other things on his mind and they didn't involve memories, He pulled her face toward his and kissed her with his being, her entire body was on fire and she wanted more. His desire for her outpaced any conversation that they could have ever have and he need to have sex with her, it didn't matter he was making love to a stranger that just happened to be his wife.

Jennifer pulled her face back for a second, "Are you sure,"

Charlie paused for a moment too, "Do you want me to stop?"

She laughed, "Not at all," He kissed her again and then pushed her down on the bed, He had a flash of having this moment before and it sent a sharp pain in his head

"Are you okay?" She was concerned, she was also very naked, the robe had fallen over when he'd pushed her onto the bed.

He smiled and laid down on top of her, "I'm fine," and kissed her and made love to her until she passed out from exhaustion, He watched her sleep and realized something but there was something he needed to do first.

The Next Morning, Jennifer woke up early, happy for the first time in almost a year and excited to see Charlie beside her but when she turned to her side, she was surprised to find her bed empty, wrapping herself in the bedsheet she thought maybe Charlie had gone to the bathroom and fell asleep, She'd caught Jonathan doing that a few times, sometimes he'd be exhausted from an all-nighter at the office and sit down on the toilet to brush his teeth, leaning back he'd close his eyes and just fall asleep.

Except He wasn't in the bathroom and considering that the room wasn't that big, there wasn't any other place he could be. Jennifer became angry, picking up a glass from the bathroom sink, she smashed it against the wall and began to cry.

And decided that she would go right from the meeting to the airport and go home. Jennifer got dressed slowly and decided that she would call home, she missed Max and Zara so much, but she knew that Zara was in the best possible hands.

Max, who'd claimed that the only kid he ever liked was Jonathan and he came Potty trained, instantly fell in love with Zara, from the moment she was born and she too, there wasn't a moment they weren't together, Jennifer supposed she should feel jealous that another person had an almost maternal relationship with her daughter but she didn't because she understood that for Max, Zara was the closest thing to Jonathan he'd ever get again and he wanted to make sure that Zara always knew that she was loved and who her Daddy was.

And Max also said she was the best lucky charm ever.

Because from the moment that Jennifer went back to work, Max took Zara everywhere including the Track, he would carry the car seat inside, where it stayed temperature control and Zara would watch the horses go around, occasionally Max would ask her to point to which horse she thought would win and as young as she was, she would point and Max would come out a winner, giving half of it to Zara's piggy bank.

Max said she was better than any bookie he ever had and much cuter.

Jennifer, using her Computer to Facetime Max, tried not to show the sadness in her face, she wasn't an actress but she was willing to fake it for the sake of Max and Zara.

"E'llo," Max's face came through the screen, he looked as if he were in the kitchen, it must have been Lunch time in Los Angeles while it was Breakfast in Paris.

"Hey! Max!" She said cheerfully

"Mrs. H, How's Paris," Max moved his screen so that she could see both Max and Zara, it had taken several lessons with the kid down the street before Max finally learned that Facetime didn't involve ceiling shots

"Wonderful, the meetings are going great and I've gotten some great shopping," What she wanted to say was that Jonathan was alive but didn't have a clue who she was and that she wished she could curl up and cry herself unconscious but no sense in making Max miserable and feel guilty half way around the world.

Except that Max knew her better than that, He saw the pain in her eyes and wanted to ask her about it but knowing Jennifer as he did, if she didn't want to tell him, she wouldn't.

"I'm glad, here's Zara!" He pointed his screen toward the Baby, who was sitting in her high chair with what looked like red sauce covering her body and was chewing on a piece of bread, "Zara, It's Mama!"

"Mamamma," Zara babbled reaching her hands out to hug her

"Hi Baby!," Jennifer said, "I miss you! Are you being good for Poppa,"

Zara reached for her harder and when she didn't get a Mama hug, she began to cry which made Jennifer feel even worse.

"Mama will be home soon," Jennifer said trying not to cry.

"It's okay, Mrs. H, she's probably tired," Max said turning the screen back to himself.

"Okay, Um, I guess I'll let you both, I'll see you tomorrow," She said turning off her screen.

She'd just started to cry when the phone rang, "Hello," She said quietly.

"Mrs. Hart, there's a message for you at the desk with a very large arrangement for you," Edward, the Concierge answered.

"Can you have them sent up, please?" She was emotionally exhausted and physically exhausted as well.

"Right away, Ma'am." He hung.

Jennifer washed her face and finished getting dressed when the someone at the door knocked, "Coming!"

She opened the door to find a bellboy holding roses with a note.

"Mrs. Hart?" He asked

"Yes," She said, taking the flowers and note, she tipped the bellboy and sat down on the bed, Jennifer opened the note.

"J,

Of all the Gin Joints in the world, you had to walk into mine and I'm glad.

Meet me at our spot by the river and then we'll go home together."

Jonathan"

She became excited and ran to get dressed, he was back!

Jenny's Apartment

Jonathan took a deep breath, He had to break up with Jenny so he could go home to Jennifer, Zara and Max. He was still angry over the fact that for a year, Jenny had lied to him but he knew that she'd only done what was in his best interest.

Or so he hoped.

He knocked on her door and when she answered, it wasn't like with Jennifer who excited him, it was a sense of dread and he was sure this was going to be a conversation that would end badly.

Jenny let him in without a word and went to her bar to pour herself a drink, "I see you've calmed down,"

"I have," he answered quietly "And I've made some decisions, You and I are never going to be good for each other. There's no trust and I can't be with someone I can't trust, I'm sorry,"

Jenny took a sip from her glass and stared at him for a few minutes, "There's someone else isn't there?"

He nodded, "Yes," He didn't want to give Jenny anymore information to hurt her, "I'm sorry but I'm in love with someone else, who's wonderful, amazing, so smart and makes me so much better than I am or ever was, and knows who I am, deep inside and still willing to let me learn who I was. plus There's the matter of a little girl that I'm pretty sure is my daughter and I've always wanted a daughter, Plus there's the matter of my father, who was with me before I became somebody I have to go back, I'm sorry," He put his hand on top of hers "

Jenny looked at their hands together and said quietly, "But what about our family?"

"Our Family?" He said, "We don't have a family?"

"I've been waiting for a good time to tell you, I'm pregnant," She said putting her glass down.

Jonathan could honestly say for the first time,

He was stunned.

SIENE River:

Jennifer felt stupid, she had on a bench for hours and waited for Jonathan, she rechecked and checked the letter a thousand times to make sure that she was in the right place, she even stood in the same spot she'd stood with Jonathan or rather Charlie the previous day to make sure she didn't miss seeing him.

But he never came.


	8. Finding his Hart?

PARIS-RITZ CARLTON HOTEL:

After Jennifer had foolish sat for hours waiting for Jonathan to come to her, she went back to her hotel, packed up quickly and checked out of her hotel, she was done with Paris.

And Jonathan Hart.

Luckily, she had a board meeting to semi distract her and She was grateful, she could ignore her broken Heart and instead concentrating on a deal that was worth Billions to Hart Industries.

Except She was surprised when the Men she was dealing with, thrilled with her shrewd Business tactics offered her a chance to grow Hart Industries in Paris and could potentially create jobs but it would mean that she would have to move herself, Max and Zara to Paris for a year or longer and she wasn't sure that was something she was ready for, only uprooting her own life but Max's as well, He loved California and his roots run deep.

There wasn't one person in Bel Air who didn't know Max, and they all loved him. She often joked that Max should have run for Mayor because he would win by a landslide and Max would say, he needed a First Lady to go with his victory.

Jennifer wasn't even sure He'd be willing to leave California, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to move, her home was at 1600 Willow Pond road except it had felt less like home the more Jonathan was gone.

And to live in a City where Jonathan was possibly living without her made her even more hesitant.

Instead Jennifer told the men that she would consider the offer and let them know.

Jennifer thanked the men and left for the airport.

Jenny's Apartment

After dropping a bombshell to Jonathan about being pregnant with his child, Jenny sat back smugly while he paced the room, unsure of what to say or even do.

"Are you positive your pregnant?" He asked standing by the bar

"Charlie, I'm a nurse and I've taken a pregnancy test," She answered enjoying the fact he was starting to turn pale and sweat.

But the sweating instantly stopped at being called "Charlie," He turned in frustration and taking two giant steps across the room, grabbing her by the arm and pulled her close to his face.

"Let me be clear, my name is Jonathan Hart, not Charlie and I will not turn my back on my family, if this child is indeed mine, I will support it in anyway but I will not walk away from Jennifer and my family," He snarled, a year's worth of fury was getting ready to pour out.

Jenny had to admit, but she'd never seen this side of him before and it was a bit of a turn on, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, for a second he resisted then melted into it and remembering Jennifer, he pushed her away and wiped his mouth.

"I'm very sorry, Jenny," Just as he turned his head away from her and took five steps toward the door, something slammed into the back of his skull and he collapsed on the floor.

Holding a vase that she'd grabbed from the back of the couch, Jenny felt very smug, "No, I'm sorry, Charlie"

THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL 

Jennifer wasn't sure what had happened but she remembered that she had just left her business meeting and was headed back to the Ritz to get her luggage to go to the airport, and then nothing. She slowly opened her eyes to find another pair staring back at her, she tried to move but sometimes was holding her down.

"Mrs. Hart?" a voice called over her, Jennifer slowly opened one eye to find a pair staring back at her, "Jennifer,"

"Yes," Jennifer says quietly, her skull feeling as if it were on fire, "My name is Jennifer Hart,"

"Do you know what today is," The voice asked, looking worried

"It's still Wednesday, I hope," Jennifer wanted to raise her head but knew if she did, it would be more painful than anything she'd ever experienced including childbirth.

"That's right, do you know the day?"

"The 11th , can I ask why you are asking as I have amnesia," Jennifer slowly started to sit up but her stomach turned and she knew that if she moved anymore, she'd vomit.

"You were in a cab accident, you were hit by a cab," The voice, which belonged to a male doctor, who looked as if he were the Child of Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch with a touch of Daniel Radcliff.

"I was, I don't remember," She suddenly understood how Jonathan felt except she remembered that she was Jennifer Hart and that she remembered that after leaving her meeting, desperately running back to the hotel to get back to Hart 1 to go home to Max and Zara.

"That's okay, you don't seem to have any broken bones and you may have a mild concussion, we're going to take you for a CAT scan and if that is clear, you can go home,"

She put a hand to her head, she could feel something wet and when she pulled back her hand, it was covered in blood, "My head," She wanted to scream, "What's wrong with my head?!"

"Well, you do have a few cuts and bruises, we had to put a few stitches in your forehead, but they should heal nicely in a few days, when you get back to the States, you'll want to see a Plastic Surgeon to prevent scarring,"

"Thank you," Jennifer said closing her eyes but reopened them when she heard someone gasp.

Both she and the Doctor looked at the door at the person who'd just come in, surprised They both stared at the young brunette carrying in an IV bag.

"Nurse Lola, is there a problem?" The Doctor asked, curiously and loudly , this was unprofessional at best not to mention rude.

"No, of course not I'm very sorry," She said quietly obviously nervous about something.

The doctor shook his head, "Anyway, Mrs Hart, if you'll just sit tight for a bit, we can take you for your tests and then go from there,"

Jennifer nodded, watching the nurse trying to avoid Jennifer's direction as the doctor finished his exam and left.

"Are you the Jennifer Hart," the Nurse asked quietly, "the Celebrated Journalist,"

"Yes, that was me but that Journalist part of my life was a long time ago, are you a fan," Jennifer tried to smile despite the fact her face felt like it was burning.

"Yes, I've read your uh books," Lola said rearranging some items inside the cabinet above her head, "You are a terrific writer,"

"Thank you," Jennifer supposed it was being in the presence of a famous person or at least a semi-famous person that would make anyone jealous.

"Hart, were you related to Jonathan Hart?," Lola asked

"Yes, He was my Husband..Is my husband," Jennifer corrected herself, Jonathan was still alive despite now calling himself Charlie, "He is my husband,"

"That was such a tragedy, the Jewelry Store bombing, did They ever find his remains?" Lola was careful with her words but not with her actions, she was acting busy but eying Jennifer's reaction to her question.

Jennifer's journalistic antenna was beeping loudly and between that and the ringing in her ears, something was telling her that Lola knew something.

Just then, another nurse called for Lola to come to the desk, that she had an emergency phone call.

Lola hurried out to the Nurse's station, which was just outside of Jennifer's room, Jennifer waited until the door was partially closed before ignoring the dull pain in her head and the pit in her stomach, climbed off the bed and stood at the door, listening to Lola speak.

"Jenny, what's happened?, Jenny, slow down! What's happened to Charlie.." Lola sounded frantic, "Why do you need bandages?"

Whoever was on the other end must have answered because Lola was silent for a few minutes, "Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can," Lola hung up and must have left the nurses station.

Jennifer's instincts told her that whomever this Jenny was, it had to do something with Jonathan but what? Jennifer wasn't about to sit around and wait, she found her clothes in a bag on the end of the bed, changing and fighting the urge to vomit, she left the hospital before anyone could stop her.

Using the skills Jonathan had taught her over the years when he was chasing murderers and embezzlers, she managed to follow Lola to an apartment building but Lola's car suddenly turned away from an apartment building and sped off. Jennifer decided maybe she should snoop around for a bit, she didn't want to make it too obvious she was chasing after someone.

Jennifer stood in front of the apartment building, it was run down and far from what Jonathan Hart had grown accustomed to, Jennifer was nervous that if she even opened the door, the ceiling might come crashing down on her head.

Jennifer took a deep breath and pushed one of the calls, she wasn't sure which apartment she was even looking for but something told her that she was on the right trail.

"Hullo," a rough voice called out.

"Uh Hi I'm looking for Jenny," Jennifer called back nervously

"She just left for her cabin, Can I take a message," The voice called back.

"Do you know where her cabin is? It's important that I speak to her," Jennifer was starting to get cold, when she left the hospital she had forgotten her jacket.

The voice on the phone immediately got suspicious, "How do you know Jenny,"

"I'm Bernadette, Jenny's friend from work," Jennifer looked around quickly, hoping no one would call her out. "She left something important at the Hospital and if she doesn't get it back soon, she could be in serious trouble,"

There was a slight pause before the voice came back, "She went to her cabin out in Annecy, It's a small Pink House set way back in the middle of some trees,"

"Thank you very much," Jennifer answered and hurried to the curb,"Taxi!"

Jennifer hoped that she was headed toward Jonathan and Salvation and not towards Danger and Hell.


	9. His Hart Belong to Who?

ANNENCY-

It had taken Jennifer nearly three hours to get to Annecy, whomever this Jenny was obviously was a fan of her privacy because as they got closer and closer, it seemed that the houses were further and further apart and sending Jennifer's anxiety through the Taxi's roof.

"You can stop right here, Teddy," Over the course of the three hours, the cab driver had been so kind to her, he'd asked her all sorts of questions about why she was headed to such a remote location and What Life was like in California, There was something, a quality that about him Jennifer immediately likened and kindness that made Jennifer spill her guts and so she told him the whole story as he navigated through the streets of Paris, He listened intently and would whistle when she would get to a dramatic part, she supposed it sounded like something out of a Danielle Steele novel and when She'd also decided that when this was over, and Jonathan was home again where he belonged, she'd turn this tale into a book.

If He was here, right now she felt like she was walking into possibly her own murder.

"Are you sure you want to stop here," He was about a mile from the only house on the block and with its' deep forest, there was no chance anyone could hear a scream for help.

"Yes, I think this way, it doesn't draw too much attention," Jennifer was suddenly nervous but she swallowed hard and pulled out her wallet to pay Teddy.

Teddy looked concerned, "Do you want me to go with you,"

"No that's alright, but thank you," She pressed a five 100 dollar bills into his hand.

"This is too much, please it's only 250 dollars," for such a long cab ride, He'd turned off the meter when she'd started telling him her story and what kept bringing her back to Paris.

"Teddy, you took the time to listen to a crazy story and drive out in the middle of nowhere, it's the least I could do," She would have given him more but she was running low on money but she vowed when she and Jonathan returned to Los Angeles, She'd personally send Teddy a check that would help with any expenses, maybe even get him a job at the New Hart Industries in Paris if he wanted, right now This Stranger was her savior when she had nobody.

Jennifer got out of the car and was standing by the door when Teddy pushed down his window, "Mrs. Hart!" Jennifer turned to see him reaching into the glove compartment, "You'll need this," and handed her a 38 special.

"Oh Teddy, I don't think I can," Jennifer had used a gun before but she never felt comfortable packing heat because she was afraid she'd miss and wind up shooting herself in the foot.

"Please Mrs. Hart, you need protection," Teddy was insistent and Jennifer took the gun, "It's got five bullets left," and put it inside her purse.

"Thank you, Teddy," She touched his arm and started her walk toward the house.

"That Jonathan Hart, whoever he is, is one lucky bastard." Teddy remarked before starting his car up and driving away.

INSIDE THE HOUSE-

Jonathan's arms were aching and he was sure that his head had a concussion, He'd woken up and found that he was tied to a headboard and his legs were in restraints, he'd tried to lift his head to see where he was but something was forcing his head still, his eyes, weak as they were, told him that he was in basement of some sorts and that the window above him was blackened out.

"Hello Darling," a voice called to him, Jonathan wasn't sure who was speaking to him, the voice sounded like a little girl, "It's time for you to wake up,"

A face, layered in white leaned over him and Jonathan was positive his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Darling, you must wake up, you don't want to sleep through our wedding," The little voice said even chipper.

"Wedding? I'm already married," Jonathan's head was pounding and he was confused.

"You've been out a long time, you are simply confused," Jennifer adjusted the large veil on her forehead, "There's so much to be done before our wedding," She leaned over Jonathan's head and released whatever the cage was that was holding his head in place, he lifted his head slowly to find Jenny covered head to toe in a large wedding dress.

His arms were still tied but he could move his head enough to realize he had changed into a tuxedo, Jonathan wondered how Jenny managed to get him dressed but then again, she had whacked him hard in the head, when if he ever got out of this basement, he'd probably sport a goose-egg for a long time.

IF he ever got out this basement.

Jonathan realized he had zoned out while Jenny babbled.

"We have so much to do, right after the wedding, we should renovate one of the bedrooms for the nursery, of course you need an office. Oh, I want a large kitchen, so we can cook for our family!" Jenny hopped around excitedly, "Then we'll build a beach house so we can have an escape for the kids?"

Jonathan's head was pounding, "Kids, More than one?"

"Why of course, Silly, we'll have lots of babies!" Jenny putting her hands under her chin

"I can't, I had a vasectomy about five years ago," He said, his eyes twitching.

"What?" Jenny stopped in her tracks, "Why?"

"Because, I just never wanted kids and It solved the problem," He said attempting to shrug his shoulders.

"But, But. I'm pregnant!" Jenny stammered just as the doorbell upstairs.

Jonathan turned his voice cold, "Maybe you should answer that, it could be a wedding guest?"

Jenny looked crushed as she went upstairs, how could he have done that? And why hadn't she known before? Why hadn't he told her?

Jenny answered the door after it rang one final time to reveal a very red head, for some reason Jenny felt like she'd see this woman before but wasn't sure when,

"Hello," Jennifer had to swallow hard, seeing Jenny in a full-length wedding dress, veil and shoes, she had to take a pause before she spoke "I'm so sorry to bother you but my car broke down and I was wondering if I could use your phone?"

"I'm sorry but I'm very busy, As you can see, I'm getting married today and I have a lot to do," Jenny's eyes narrowed, no one had ever come to the house before, where did this woman come from?

"Please, I've just walked over five miles and it's raining awfully hard," Jennifer said frantically, "I promise It'll only take a minute to call a cab, I promise not to interfere with anything please," Jennifer held up two fingers

"Fine, there's a landline in the living room," Jenny let her in and stepped aside as Jennifer came into the house.

"This is a great house!" Jennifer stepped inside, "It's so warm and cozy,"

"Thank you," Jenny pointed to the phone, "I have to go to the kitchen but I'll be right back, the phone is over there," She pointed to the phone beside the couch.

Jennifer went to the couch and pretended to dial while Jenny shuffled in her heavy gown to the kitchen.

As soon as Jenny was in the Kitchen, Jennifer began to search the living room for a door or some hint that Jonathan was in the house. She wasn't sure how long she had before Jenny came back and Jennifer would be forced to leave the house.

Years of breaking into buildings and apartments were something she'd been doing with Jonathan for years and so searching a room quickly was as natural as breathing, she shot across the living room and started feeling for walls that separated or a clue of a secret passageway, she wasn't sure how long she had but time was growing shorter and so was her patience.

Jennifer took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she just need to relax for a second and she would find get answer. Jonathan always said her best instincts came when she stopped worrying.

She listened and she heard a noise under her feet like the scraping of something across the hard-wood and when she opened her eyes, Jennifer spotted a door slightly opened, just a hair and darted across the room, cautious of making any noise and found herself at the top of the stairs.

"I hope I'm not making a mistake," She mumbled to herself as she started down the stairs, the first step creaked and she instantly started to panic, "Oh, Jonathan where are you?"!

Jonathan's ears perked up at the sound of her voice, "Jennifer?" He was positive the concussion he'd received was making him hear things.

Jennifer called again, She could hear him but for some reason she couldn't see him, At the Bottom of the Stairs directly in front of her looked like a wall with no door but then how did Jenny get in and out to answer the door?

"Jonathan!" She called louder, cautious of Jenny hearing her, "Where are you?"

Jonathan looked around, or at least tried to "I'm behind the wall"

"Jonathan, the entire room is a wall!" She was growing impatient and put her hand against the wall to brace herself, the light was very dim and the stairs were narrow but when her fingers hit the wall, Almost like out of Star Trek, the wall became visible, Jennifer was amazed but a bit curious.

"This is incredible," Jennifer walked further down the stairs, afraid if she touched the door, she'd get a shock but she figured unless the door was made with voltage, the shock wouldn't be too bad …

Jennifer cautiously put her hand out and touched the door, when nothing happened, she sighed and pushed her way through to find Jonathan tied to a bed, his face bruised and his eye swollen shut.

"Oh Baby, what did she do to you?" Jennifer rushed over to him and immediately untied his arms

He felt instant relief as the blood rushed to his arm, "It's a long story Darling and I promise to tell you the whole story when we get home," He started to sit up slowly.

"Darling? You called me Darling?" Jennifer threw her arms around Jonathan's neck. "Are you back? Really back?"

He pulled her face toward his and kissed her in that old familiar way, "What does that tell you?"

"Hmm, I think I need more proof," She smiled.

"I'll give you all the proof you need when we're the hell out of here," He said hugging her

"Isn't this sickeningly sweet," a voice dripping with venom said behind Jonathan and he heard the click of a gun.

They both turned to see Jenny cocking a gun at both of them , "Oh my god," Jennifer said trying not to scream, Jonathan stepped in front of Jennifer to act as a shield.

"Jenny, come on, don't do this," Jonathan could see that she was becoming detached and was capable of anything.

"I have to, Charlie, she's coming between us and our family" Jenny said raising the gun even further.

"What Family?" Jennifer asked behind Jonathan's back, "Jonathan and I are family, we have a daughter together!"

Jenny's eyes widened, "A daughter?!, you told me you had a vasectomy!"

"I didn't say when.." Jonathan said taking a slow step toward Jenny

"It doesn't matter! We're having a baby together!" Jenny yelled raising the gun to Jonathan's chest.

"You Know, Jonathan, you have the worst taste in Women," Jennifer pulled out the gun Teddy had given and pointed it at Jonathan's back.

Jonathan's head whipped around, "Sweetheart,"

"For one year, I mourned you and now I find out you've been screwing around, how could you?" She raised her eyebrow.

Jonathan knew her better than anyone and he understood, "What can I say? I don't like being a one-woman man," He shook his shoulder and took a few steps back

Jenny's head was beginning to hurt and she was getting confused.

"I should have known you couldn't commit to one woman, you couldn't even commit to one coffee," Jennifer continued, raising the gun a bit further.

"Maybe I like having different kinds of coffee! It's not always about one flavor!" Jonathan shot back

Suddenly a shot rang, Jenny held the gun in the air, "SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP!"

Both Jonathan and Jennifer jumped and plaster rained down on their heads.

"This isn't a game! I will kill you!" Jenny yelled raising her gun toward Jennifer.

"Jenny," Jennifer decided to take another approach and spoke to her as if she were Zara, "You don't want to hurt us, we can help you, let us help you, please,"

"No, you are just trying to take what's mine and I won't let you!" Jenny was stubborn but Jennifer could see that she was becoming exhausted and was starting to lower the gun.

Jennifer walked a few more steps until she was directly in front of Jenny, "Jenny, Hand me the gun" she held her hand out

"No!" Jenny resisted and stepped back.

Jennifer impulsive decided that she would try to knock it out of Jenny's hand but Jenny was strong and when Jennifer lunged at her, they both toppled backward and suddenly

BANG! And a cloud of smoke ..

Followed by silence and then A Scream.


	10. A rescued Hart?

ANNENCY-

Jonathan stood outside in the cold, his face illuminated by all of the flashing lights of the Police and EMT workers, it seemed like they were moving in slow motion, the past few hours had seemed like a dream.

Or A Nightmare, Jonathan hadn't quite figured out which just yet.

As soon as the gun had gone off and the scream hadet out, he wasn't sure by whom, Jenny or Jennifer or even himself but he knew couldn't move, it was as if his feet were encased in cement and for a moment he understood what Jennifer had gone through when he'd had his accident and she assumed he was dead.

Like His Heart was shattered and the ground was rumbling underneath him.

Jonathan watched as the EMT workers loaded up the body into the ambulance and he wasn't sure what to do, if he should insist on going with them to accompany her or he should find his own way to the Hospital? His head hurt and he could feel a tightness in his chest.

Jonathan knew that the explosion had changed the person he'd once been but he had to wonder, if it was a good change because he learned that he loved Jennifer more than he ever thought he could, there were nights when he would dream about her face but not understanding who she was and sometimes he would get so frustrated.

But when he saw her in that Hotel Lobby, it was like everything had fallen into place and he was with the person he was supposed to be with, even if he had no clue who she was, there was something about her that intrigued him.

And even now, he wanted to learn more about the year when she thought he was dead, How Jennifer coped with his passing and the unplanned birth of their daughter, someone he hadn't even met yet and he was desperate to, this little amazing little person he and Jennifer had created. He'd missed an entire year of her little life, he'd never get the chance to hear her first word, see her first step

And Max, poor Max who grieved for him probably just as much as Jennifer did but had stepped up in the same way he'd done for Jonathan, He became the Father that Zara needed in that moment.

He had never imagined in his life, he would ever have children, it was just never something he thought of, In his mind if Jennifer had wanted a baby, she would have said so but he supposed that he could have brought up the subject and they would have discussed it but they enjoyed their life together, being able to hop on a plane to Italy for Dinner or making love in the middle of the night, sometimes he would make excuses at the Office just to come home at Lunch, make love for an hour and then go back to the office to finish out the day.

He remembered their wedding day or so what everyone thought was their wedding day, _Just a few days before he could see she was beginning to crack. There was so much to do in such a short time, with the move from New York to California and party planners phoning all hours of the night. Their wedding had indeed been called the "Wedding of the Decade: The Self-Made Millionaire and the Journalist" Every outlet wanted an exclusive and they didn't care how they got it, Max often had to fight his way to the front door or sneak Jennifer by hiding her in the station wagon. It was getting to be too much and when the coordinator called to say that another 50 guests had RSVP'd and they needed another cater to accommodate everyone and people were worried about food allergies , Jennifer finally lost it._

" _Jonathan, This isn't a wedding, this is a nightmare!" Jennifer said after answering the phone,"We have over 5,000 guests coming from all over the world including our Friends and Family! The church is too small and the sound system is out of date so that means the Minister's microphone might sound like he's under water! My dress isn't done yet, the beading is all off and let's not even mention the fact your suit has been sent back twice.. Why are we doing this?"_

 _Jonathan took her hand, "Because we love each other, don't we?"_

 _"_ _Yes of course but when I imagined our wedding, I didn't think it would rival Princess Di's," She said leaning back in their bed in New York holding the wedding book, Jonathan had been staying with her on the weekends while their house in California was being set up, Right after they'd left London, he'd taken her to the Condo He and Max shared but they found that it was hard for them to feel comfortable making love in such a small place where it seemed like the entire building complex and Max hear them._

 _Max was already in California, setting up for their arrival just a few days before their wedding, this big McMansion except Jennifer had wanted a small country house but Jonathan convinced that because they were so well known, a bigger house with extra security would be beneficial._

 _Jonathan threw his book aside down and faced her, taking the wedding book out of her hand and throwing it on the floor, "So what if we forgo the whole big wedding?"_

 _"_ _Jonathan, we've spent so much money and time! we can't cancel and besides don't you want to marry me?" Her heart broke just a little bit and she wondered why they'd gone through the charade of building a house and a life together if all he wanted to do was play house, she wondered if they had rushed into their engagement, that had only known each other for a few days._

 _"_ _Of course, I do but I don't want you to do anything you don't want to, you should have the wedding of your dreams," He took her hands_

 _"_ _The Wedding of my dreams," She said quietly "Would be just us in front of a Minister..well Us and Max.. "_

 _"_ _Then Let's do it, Let's get dressed right now, We've got the plane gassed up, we can fly to Las Vegas, get married and be back before anyone even notices we're gone,"_

 _Jennifer had to admit, it was a good plan, "What about the one we've been planning? What about that, What about Max?"_

 _"_ _We can still do that, this one will be just for us, what do you say?" Jonathan searched her face, "Besides Max is in California acting like the mother of the bride"_

 _Jennifer laughed at that, "How fast can you pack"_ _She said throwing herself forward and throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him._

 _They quickly packed and boarded Hart 1 where Jennifer nervously looked out the window._

 _"_ _Are you positive you want to do this?" He asked taking her hand and wondered if he wasn't pushing her to do something she wasn't ready for._

 _She smiled back at him, "Absolutely"_

"Sir," a voice interrupted his thoughts, "Sir, you need to be checked out," Jonathan shook his head.

"I'm fine, really"

A voice behind him spoke up quickly, "He'll be checked out.. thoroughly," She stepped out of the ambulance, the entire street was covered with Police, Ambulances and Firetrucks. The Dark neighborhood had suddenly come to life.

"Darling, I'm fine, Really" He said facing her, Jennifer's face and clothing were caked in dirt and dried blood, her hair had taken on a life of it's own and was in all different directions and her eyes were watery but she still had a determined look on her face.

"Jonathan," Jennifer mocked, "You will get into that ambulance and do what that EMT says or I swear, on our daughter I will never make love to you again,"

After a pause, Jonathan nodded, "Let's go!"

Jennifer shook her head as she watched Jonathan climb into the ambulance, as soon as she knew he was distracted, she went behind the house where no one could see or hear her and cried.

 _When Jennifer and Jenny had fallen back, they had wrestled for a second before the gun went off and for a moment, Jennifer couldn't breathe, nothing hurt but she could feel as if her heart were trying to climb out of her chest and for a moment, she wondered if this was what death felt like._

 _And she wondered if this was what Jonathan had felt like after the explosion. All sound left her body and she couldn't hear anything, except her heart thumping extra hard and she was sure she was surrounded by darkness because she couldn't see anything, Jennifer realized she couldn't see anything because she was squeezing her eyes so tightly and when she opened them, she was staring into brown eyes staring back her._

 _Except those eyes were lifeless._

 _Jennifer heard screaming and it never occurred to her that it might be coming out of her mouth until she heard Jonathan calling for her, "Jennifer!, Jennifer!"_

 _At that exact moment, Suddenly the entire room was filled with Police officers, EMT workers and the Fire department. She wasn't sure how they got there so quickly, but at moment._

 _She didn't even care._

 _And when they pulled Jenny's body off from Jennifer, somehow Jenny hands became entangled in Jennifer's Hair and ripped out strands of Jennifer's hair._

 _It wasn't until Jonathan was in her eye line and calling for her that she finally snapped out of her spell and allowed herself to be examine by the EMT workers._

"Sir!" an EMT worker shouted over the noise, between the Ambulances, Fire Department and Police, it was almost like being at a rock concert, "Do you know what day it is?"

"It's still Wednesday!" Jonathan shouted back

"Can you tell me what time it is," the EMT checked his head and eyes for dilation.

"I'm not wearing a watch but I'm guessing ..around 11:30," Jonathan's eyes searched for Jennifer but she was nowhere to be found.

"Okay, you are a bit banged up but otherwise seem okay.." The EMT worker finished his examination.

Jonathan nodded and hopped down from the ambulance, "JENNIFER!" he yelled but he was doubtful she could hear him.

But Jennifer did hear him.. she wasn't sure she was ready to answer.


	11. Will his Hart ever be hers?

After the Police had questioned both Jonathan and Jennifer for Hours, they'd finally been released and could go to a hotel, Jennifer's eyes were red rimmed, and exhausted, her entire body caked with dirt and blood, she'd barely spoken a word to Jonathan, she didn't know what to say and when she tried to form a sentence, it was a struggle.

Jennifer wondered if it was the exhaustion or that she wasn't even sure she could speak to her own husband. Jonathan wondered if she would ever be the same woman she was before the shooting.

Jennifer had been checked out at the House by the EMTs as well but Jonathan wondered if she was suffering from some sort of shell shock.

When they got to the hotel and they were alone together, Jennifer broke the silence, "I uh need a shower," She mumbled and went into the bathroom.

"You shower and when you get out, I'll have dinner waiting for you, we need to eat," Jonathan picked up room service menu.

Jennifer nodded and went into the bathroom, as soon as she closed the door and turned on the water in the tub, she began to sob, she sobbed the way she did when Jonathan went missing and was presumed dead, she sobbed from her heart and soul, she sobbed until she was laying on the floor and gasping for air. She couldn't get the image of Jenny's vacant eyes out of her mind.

Jonathan stood outside the bathroom door, unable to move and unsure what to do, he didn't know if this was her moment to grieve for Jenny or she was crying in relief that they were both okay. Jonathan decided to go to her.

He needed to the husband she deserved.

Jonathan opened the bathroom door slowly, cautious of hitting her with the door…

"Jennifer?" He called quietly.

She gasped, sat up and wiped her eyes, "I'm fine, did you order dinner?"

Jonathan sat across from her, holding out his hands, he took hers, "Talk to me," He studied her watery eyes and the fact she looked like that she hadn't sleep in weeks.

"I'm a murderess!" Jennifer let out a wail and threw her arms around Jonathan's neck, he hugged her hard, unsure of what to say or even think.

"Hey, you are not a murderess. this was an accident, I'm just so glad you weren't hurt," He exhaled, if she'd been hit by that bullet, he was pretty sure he would have dropped dead on the spot, the idea of her getting hurt physically made his heart hurt.

How would he be able to go back to Los Angeles, to their daughter without her?

Jonathan wouldn't, he'd probably curl up beside her body and wither away.

She clung to his neck and cried, for Jenny and for everything they'd lost over the year and when she finally stopped crying out of exhaustion, she hung on his neck.

"Hey, let's get you cleaned up and then eat dinner okay," He said after a while, his back aching.

But she didn't want to get up, "Can we just stay here for a more minutes,"

He nodded.

"Jonathan," She asked after a few minutes," Did you love her, Jenny I mean?"

Jonathan paused for a minute," A Part of me did, I guess"

Jennifer's heart sank, "Oh"

He could see the tears behind her eyes "But I always knew somewhere in the back of my head and my heart, I belonged to you, That Charlie loved Jenny but Jonathan loved Jennifer, as weird as that sounds"

"Oh Jonathan," the tears began to pour and she hugged,"I've never stopped loving you for one second, but Can I confess something to you,"

"Anything, Darling," He said bracing himself for the worst, that she'd been on dates or made love to a stranger because she knew he would want her to continue with her life. That she'd created a life separated from him. It was painful but he understood, he couldn't ask her to give up on her life, especially if she thought he was dead.

"When I thought you were um, well dead, I was angry, angrier than I've ever been in my life and well, I sort of had an accident with your car," She didn't want to admit that she had essentially to drown both her and the car but she managed to roll out of the car while his pride and joy sank to the bottom of the pond.

"Not my Jag!" He reeled back in horror, that had been the first thing he'd bought with his money, a vintage JXL Jaguar convertible with imported leather seats, he'd felt like such a big shot when he drove it through downtown Los Angeles. "How bad was the damage?"

"Not too bad," She lied, the interior had been ruined because she'd had the rooftop down and when the tow truck pulled the tow truck pulled the car out of the water, the entire front end had been ruined. She had to admit to herself that maybe going for a drive in a hysterical state wasn't her best idea.

"If you are safe, that's all that matter," He said hugging and wondering what waited for him when he came home, a dented Jag being the least of his worries.

She never wanted to get up from the bathroom floor and she never wanted to be out of his arms but she was filthy, every inch of her body seemed to be coated in dirty and blood,

Jennifer reluctantly pulled herself away from Jonathan, "I should take a bath,"

He smiled, "Why don't we take a bath together," he watched her face turn as red as her hair.

"Are you sure," She looked down, although they had made love just a few days ago, she was still nervous, her body didn't look as it did before, her stomach a bit flabby and her chest was a size or two bigger.

"Hey," He lifted her chin, "You are just as beautiful as the day we met," He said lifting up her shirt and throwing it on the floor beside her. He took a deep breath and tried not to gasp.

Bruises had formed over her entire body, it looked like Jenny had really wailed on her while they struggled for the gun and he could see the black eye forming on her face. Where there weren't bruises, there was dirt caked into every inch of her body. Jonathan reached out and hugged her, careful of her bodily injuries, "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital,"

"I'm fine, really," She didn't want to admit that her body was screaming in agony, that even her hair was beginning to hurt and when he pulled back , she forced a smile on her face.

He saw the pain in her eyes and knew that she didn't want to admit that she was in pain, he wondered why but then for a year, she had to be strong for their daughter.

Jonathan stood up and took off his own shirt and pants, turning on the water in the tub, he held out his hand to her, "Madame?"

"Why thank you, Sailor," She laughed taking off her pants and underwear before they both climbed into the tub together and showered together. "Can I soap you up,"

Cautiously, "If you are gentle," She said quietly" He scrubbed quickly but carefully and noticed the scar on her belly that was faded, "Where did that come from?"

"Our daughter," She said, quite proudly.

"What do you mean?" He put his hand on her belly.

"I mean your daughter is just as stubborn as you are," She laughed, "She was a week late and had her cord wrapped around her neck. It was the snowiest night LA has seen in probably a quarter century and I had been contracting all day but was sure that wasn't happening, Poor Max , he was so ready for her that he read all the parenting books, he went to the parenting classes, he took an infant CPR class, he even went to the Lamaze class,"

Jonathan laughed, "He did?"

"Yup except he met a single grandmother there and I had to take a cab home, "She laughed, "I had thought maybe that she would be at least two weeks late but Max was positive that she was going to come a week later but Max insisted that she would be born during the snow time," She imitated his voice, "This kid knows she's supposed to be born during the snowstorm"

He had to laugh even harder, she sounded exactly like him.

"Well, we ate dinner and I went upstairs to put something into the nursery and I swear, I woke up on the ground with such pain, I was positive I was dying, I couldn't yell or cry, I couldn't even breathe, Max somehow knew to come upstairs and when he found us, he called 911 and insisted they come, and said if they didn't he wasn't above drive us himself."

Jonathan hugged her and noticed she was shivering, "Are you cold,"

She had to laugh, "Well yah, I'm standing here naked," he took her hand and they climbed into the tub, sitting in the hot water.

"Are you getting warm," He asked putting his arms around her

"A little bit," She had to smile.

"Good, Because I want to hear the story of the birth of my daughter," he said, he wished that he had been there for her but at least Max was there.

"Well, that part is a bit sketchy because I was out cold for the birth and they said if Max hadn't found us, we wouldn't have made it, Somehow Zara's placenta blocked blood flow to the rest of my body and I had gone into shock," She shivered, remembering that she had woken up in such pain and being told her baby was fighting for her life in the NICU.

"How did you come up with such a beautiful name, Zara?" He asked soaping her back ..

"Actually, that was Max too, "She laughed, "I had originally thought Sadie would be pretty, Sadie E. Hart but when I woke up and we went down to see her, I asked to see my Baby and they pointed me in the director of this squishy red faced little creature with red hair, I looked at the sign in her isolette and it said, "Zara J." I was so disappointed that I thought she had been my baby, that when the nurse started to pull her out, I said "That's not my baby!" and Max said, "Sure she is!" We argued for a minute when I said "My baby is Sadie!" and the nurse finally had to intervene and tell me that, Max had changed her name, I admit I was angry but I realized when I researched her name, which means "Princess," So Max made the right decision,"

"Boy, it seems that Max was a huge part of Zara's life before and after," Jonathan wasn't resentful but he was wistful.

Jennifer contoured her body, "Max is so important to us but there hasn't been one day or moment where I didn't hope and wish you'd come back to me and you have," She didn't realize she was crying until he wiped her eyes.

"You're so lovely," He kissed her, "What do you say, we make Zara all over again," Just as there was a knock on the door.

"You get the door, I'll see you in bed," She kissed him again before standing up and climbing out of the tub.

Jonathan followed her and Jennifer climbed into the big bed, "Alright Big Fella," She said feeling happy for first time in a long time and excited, she felt like she was on her honeymoon.

Except that when Jonathan returned, She could see that his face had gone ashen and he looked frightened, he held something in his hands and when he sat down on the edge of the bed, Jennifer knew that they wouldn't be making love that night.

"Darling, What's wrong?" She said putting her arms around his neck..

"It's a letter from Jenny," He said quietly.


	12. Home is is where her Hart is

Jennifer sat at her desk, staring out of the large picture window, wondering if the deal she was working on would work or was it a mistake? She must have zoned out because she didn't hear the buzzer on her desk going off.

"Mrs. Hart?" Jennifer's secretary's voice came through the speaker, "Joseph from Security called to say that you have two guests coming up,"

Jennifer pressed the button, "Right on time, thank you, Lila,", Jennifer sat back in her chair, looking out over downtown Los Angeles and thinking about the past few months.

 _Four Months Earlier_

 _When Jonathan received that letter from Jenny, He sat there, speechless and white as a ghost, she put her arms around him, and even though the Air Conditioner was on full blast, it suddenly seemed hotter than hot in their hotel room, she wasn't sure what to say, how can you put into words when a letter from the woman, who essentially lied to you for a year and was just murdered accidentally by his wife_ _._ _He sat there with the envelope in his hands and she couldn't help but wonder. was a part of him always going to love Jenny?_

 _He suddenly stood up and faced her, she had to giggle a bit, he was standing in front of her naked, with a determined look on his face and he lowered himself onto the bed beside her, ready to make love._

" _Wait," She held up her hand, "Don't you want to read the letter?" She bit her lip, she desperately wanted his body and his arms around her but Jennifer also knew that if he didn't read it, it would make him crazy and it would be a distraction to him. Jennifer sat against the pillows with her arms crossed._

" _No," Jonathan started to kiss her neck, "besides, she has nothing I want or need to read, she's dead and we're alive,"_

 _Jennifer had to admit, that she really didn't care what the letter said, the only things going through her mind were making love to the man she'd thought she'd lost but there was a nagging feeling in the back of her heart, that before they could make love and reconnect, he had to make peace with Jenny._

" _Jonathan, please," She begged, his hands were all over her body, she could feel the tingling everywhere._

" _C'mon on, Baby, let's forget the letter for now," he said his tongue was all over her, he wanted to taste just how much she'd missed him._

 _Except he never called her Baby, it was always, "Darling," Baby was something a guy would call his girlfriend, not his and never in the 10 years she'd known him. She felt her blood turn cold._

" _Jonathan, stop," she pushed him off her but he wasn't listening and kept kissing, "Jonathan! I said stop!"_

 _He sat back, "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"_

 _She sat up as well, "Why won't you open the letter," she folder her arms over her chest._

 _He rolled his eyes in frustration and leaned over the bed, where the letter had fallen, "Here, open it,"_

" _No," Jennifer pushed his hand away, "Jenny wrote to you,"_

" _I'm not going to get any peace until I do, right?" He said opening the envelope and a key fell out on the bed, along with a note, "Charlie, you'll always have my heart and now you have my life," along with an address at the bottom to a safety deposit box_

" _What does that mean?" Jennifer picked up the key._

" _I don't think we want to know, let's get back to us" he leaned forward and kissed her._

" _No, we need to end this," She pulled back, "We need to finish this and go home to our daughter,"_

" _But can't we make love first, the banks won't be open for hours," He smiled suggestively._

" _But are you making love to me or to Jenny," She said quietly._

" _What?" he wasn't sure he heard her._

" _You called me, "Baby," You've never called me that before…"_

" _I'm sorry, Darling, I was just so caught up in how beautiful you look, I know who you are and I'm glad you never gave up on me and us," he kissed her again and this time, she didn't stop him…_

 _After making love and realizing that she'd exhausted Jonathan, listening to him snore, she remembered something she'd read,_ _"I look in your eyes and they show me the darkness that you have come through, I also see at the same time, much light and desire, desire to be accepted and loved for who you are. Through your words, I hear a man full of compassion, honor and respect for many. And through your words, I feel the passion that has been building and longing to be shared. I Have seen your anger, while fierce which shows the hurt you have endured but are easily consoled. I accept you for who you are, as you are my everything_ _" She watched him sleep somewhere while tears came to her eyes, thankful that he'd been returned to her and kissed his lips._

The next morning, although Jennifer had barely slept, they made love again, it was like they never wanted to stop or perhaps they were trying to make up for such lost time, she just knew that it was nearly lunch time before they were dressed and headed for the bank.

 _Holding hands, they went to the bank and Jonathan introduced himself to a man named Mr. Albert, who had slicked back hair and wore spectacles, wearing a suit that probably cost more than Jennifer's whole education and who was skeptical of Jonathan because in all the time he'd known Jenny, she'd never once mentioned a Jonathan._

 _But when Jennifer mentioned Charlie, Mr. Albert's eyes went wide and he nearly tripped over himself, "I apologize, Mr. Charlie, right away" and practically ran to the back of the bank with Jonathan and Jennifer trailing behind him, curiously sending each other signals._

 _When Mr. Albert pulled out a box, he was giddy, whatever was in that box obviously meant a great deal to him but Jennifer was becoming increasingly nervous._

" _Jonathan, maybe this a bad idea," She pulled him aside, "What if there's something dangerous in that box,"_

" _Darling, what could be in that box that could be dangerous? it'll be okay," He hugged her, patted her behind and turned to Mr. Albert., "Let's open this thing and see what's inside,"_

 _Jennifer reluctantly handed him the key, she could feel her heart climbing into her throat and just before she could scream out, "Jonathan, stop!" He put the key into the box and turned carefully._

 _Jennifer closed her eyes and waited for something, a blast or a shock to her body but the only thing she heard was Jonathan whistling. "Darling, you've got to see this!"_

 _Jennifer walked to where Jonathan was reaching into the box and pulling out money, 100 dollar bills bound together, he must have reached in a dozen times before he reached the bottom, "There must be thousands of dollars here!" Jonathan exclaimed_

" _A hundred thousand dollars to be exact," Mr. Albert said eagerly, "You are very lucky, Mr. Charlie!"_

" _I was lucky before this and I already had my treasure," He smiled at Jennifer, "Why did Jenny have all this money,"_

" _Ms. Jenny was the last surviving child of the famed Coldman Family, one of the most prominent families in London, like your American Kennedys and I suppose that she felt that you were most deserving of this money," Mr. Albert said, "I could help you reinvest that money,"_

" _Jonathan," Jennifer put her hand on his arm, "I think I know someone who could use that money more than we could,"_

 _Jonathan was constantly amazed at Jennifer's ability to think of others and her generosity toward others, if she wasn't involving herself in different Charities or helping people, she was constantly bringing home strays, cats, dogs …People._

 _He nodded, "I'm sure whomever you've got in mind is right, Darling," He took her hand, kissing her hand much to the chagrin of Mr. Albert, who stood there with his mouth hanging open._

 _They gathered the box, put the money back in and sealed it shut, going back into the car, Jennifer gave the driver an address and watched Jonathan, "Why do you suppose she left all this money to you," her curiosity getting the best of her._

 _Jonathan shrugged and looked up from the box, although he had seen her nude just hours before and had made love to her, he noticed for the first time that beneath her makeup, that her normally unblemished face was bruised heavily and that she was protective of her dominate arm, wondering if it was a result of Jenny falling on her but the Emergency Room doctors hadn't mentioned any broken bones to him when they'd finished their examination._

" _Darling," He asked facing her, "Is your arm okay?"_

" _It's just a bit sore, from the accident," She shifted but didn't want to elaborate to worry him._

" _What accident?!" Jonathan was surprised," You never mentioned an accident," the Car lurched forward_

" _Well I was hit by a car after you didn't show up," Jennifer didn't want to it come out bitterly but she guessed that a part of her was still angry with him._

" _Show up where?" Jonathan could see the anger and exhaustion in her eyes._

 _Jennifer wondered briefly if this was an affect from the amnesia, "Um, we were supposed to meet on the Thames and then go home to California, at least according to your note,"_

 _Jonathan shook his head, "I didn't send you a note, how could I?"_

 _Jennifer pulled the note she'd been carrying around, "Then someone sent me this, but whom?"_

 _He read the note and handed back to her, "Nope not my writing,", Jonathan shook his head._

" _If you didn't send it to me, then who did?" She asked staring into his eyes, she was suddenly filled with a sense of dread._

 _Jonathan could only shrug and took her hand._

 _They sat in silence until Jonathan suddenly barked at the driver, "Stop!" the driver screeched to a stop. Jennifer jerked forward and nearly hit her head against the window when she was flung back, she was grateful to be wearing a seatbelt._

" _Jonathan!" She yelled when the car stopped_

" _Sorry!" Jonathan apologized, unclipped her seatbelt and practically dragged her out of the car onto the Thames River._

 _Jennifer hadn't realized from the back of the car, it had started to rain, wiping her face, she had to yell to hear Jonathan over the sound of the boat horns, "What are we doing here?!"_

 _Jonathan yelled back, "See where we are? We met right here!"_

 _Jennifer looked around and realized, that when she was waiting for Jonathan to arrive before, she'd been on the wrong side of Thames. "Why are we here?" She yelled back, the horns were getting louder and her ears were beginning to hurt._

" _I've had this in my wallet for almost a year and I've finally figured out why" He yelled, maybe he should have waited until after the boats left, he was beginning to get a headache. Pulling out his wallet, he took out a ring._

 _Finally, the horns stopped and He could speak without screaming, "I've been carrying this around for almost a year and for a while, I thought maybe I'd bought it for Jenny but then when We were together, I remembered that was the reason I was in the Jewelry store when the explosion happened. I bought this for you… Will you marry me, Jennifer Elise?" He got down on one knee and pulled out a ring, slipping it on her finger, he waited for her answer._

 _Jennifer took in a deep breath and stared out at the Thames for a minute, before she leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "Yes"_

 _Jonathan whooped, jumped up and picked her up, swinging her around, she laughed, "Let's do it right now!" he yelled, "Let's get remarried right here!", He put her down and kissed her face._

 _She didn't want to disappoint him but she couldn't marry him, not right there. "Jonathan, don't you want to go home? We can't get married without Max and Zara, he'd never forgive us," He saw the tears behind her eyes and understood what she meant._

 _They'd both been away from home too long and it was time to go back._

Jennifer heard the door open and turned around to see familiar blue eyes running toward her,

"Mama, Mama!" Zara yelled racing toward Jennifer's desk with her arms open

"Hey little one!" Jennifer struggled to get out of the chair and lift her up, "Where's Daddy?"

"Right behind her, although his legs aren't as fast as a two year olds," Jonathan huffed behind her, he was winded and exhausted, Max had made this seem so easy but then again, who knew that the former CEO was now a Mr. Mom?

 _After they'd donated Jenny's money to Teddy, the driver who'd helped Jennifer find Jonathan and promised him a position at Hart industries, if he chose._

 _And the Next Morning, they had boarded a plane for home._

 _Jonathan, nervous about seeing Max and Jennifer worried if he was ready to be a Father to their daughter. Luckily, Jennifer had forewarned Max because she didn't want him to have a heart attack when Jonathan walked through the door, when she'd called Max to tell him that they were both coming home. He'd asked if she'd finally gone around the bend._

 _She could sense Jonathan's fear in the limo when they were being driven home and held his hand, "Are you ready,"_

 _He smiled back at her, "As I'll ever be" the truth was, he wasn't nervous as much as he was excited._

 _The Limo had barely enough time to stop before Jonathan hopped out and running to the door, "Hello? Max, Zara?" He raced through the house when the patter of fur feet came flying from the kitchen and raced up the stairs to where Jonathan was standing at the top of the stairs, knocking him backwards, "Hey Buddy!"_

 _Freeway was so excited, he was alternating between licking and barking like mad, "I guess someone missed me," Jonathan laughed as Jennifer climbed the stairs._

" _Alright, that's enough, Freeway, go find Max," She pulled Freeway off Jonathan and helped him up, Jonathan took an opportunity and kissed her._

 _She had to laugh, his lips tasted like Max's gourmet dog food but she didn't care, she was just so happy to be home with him._

" _Well, the house seems to be empty, " He gestured toward their bedroom, "How about a homecoming?"_

 _She smiled just as a little voice echoed, "Mommmma!" from downstairs._

" _We'll have to save the homecoming for later," She whispered before little feet were heard on the stairs._

 _Jonathan was disappointed but only for a second because when Zara made her way to the top of the stairs,_

 _he couldn't breathe._

 _It was as if Jennifer had been cloned, Zara was her exact image, everything from the color of her red hair to the shape of her nose and eyes, if he didn't see the dimple in her cheek or the fact she had blue eyes like him, he wouldn't have believed for a second that this was his daughter…_

 _But To his daughter, He was a Stranger and when she saw her Mommy with someone other than her Grandpa Max, she became frightened._

 _Jonathan made the rookie mistake of reaching out for her, which only made her scream louder and when Max heard this, he ran from the living room to the top of the stairs in record time, not realizing why Zara was screaming._

 _He scooped her up and comforted her while Jonathan was heart broken, Jennifer was helpless, because she understood that Zara was unfamiliar with Jonathan and even when Jennifer tried to take her from Max, she refused._

 _The world according to Zara Hart didn't include her parents._

" _Hey Zara, it's me ..Daddy!" Jonathan reached out to even touch her red hair and she screamed even louder and clung to Max._

" _Maybe I oughta take her down to the kitchen," Max said and without an answer from either of them, went downstairs with her._

 _Jennifer felt helpless and When Jonathan went into their bedroom without a word to her, she sat on the steps and tried not to cry, she'd wanted a perfect moment and it had all gone to hell._

 _She sat for a bit before going into their bedroom, where Jonathan was sitting on the edge of their bed._

" _I think I've made a decision," He said quietly._

 _She braced herself, He was going back to London and leaving her to raise their daughter in the States._

 _Jonathan took a deep breath, "I don't think I want to go back to Hart Industries, I think I'd like a chance to get to know my daughter,"_

 _Jennifer exhaled, and silently danced in her head, "If that's what you choose, but who will take over for you,"_

 _He reached up and pulled her into his lap, "Well, why don't you keep running it, you've been doing a great job so far,"_

 _She pushed back his hair, "How did you know?"_

 _He kissed her neck, "Because I know you, you are capable of doing great things and this is one of them, you know how much I love the company and without me, The Hart would be gone,"_

 _Jennifer looked down and said quietly, "I couldn't lose all of you at once,"_

" _Which is why, I'm giving you the company,"_

 _Jennifer wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad that she wouldn't get to see him all time, "You'll still come visit me for lunch, won't you?"_

" _Every Day," He kissed her_

And That's exactly where she was today except now there were two more Harts on their way.

Jonathan saw the tears form behind her eyes, "Are you okay,"

She took a deep breath and smiling, "I'm perfect,"

The END


End file.
